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THE    PROPAGANDA 
FOR  REFORM 

—  IN  — 

Proprietary    Medicines 


PART     I.  -          COUNCIL  REPORTS 

PART  II.  -  -  -  LABORATORY  CONTRIBUTIONS 
PART  III.  -  -  -  MISCELLANEOUS  NOSTRUMS 
PART  IV.  -----  MISCELLANY 

[EIGHTH  EDITION] 


REPRINTED     FROM    THE   JOURNAL    OF    THE 
^AMERICAN          MEDICAL          ASSOCIATION 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SIXTH  EDITION 


In  February,  1905,  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry  of  the  American  Medical  Association  was 
organized  to  investigate  the  proprietary  medicine  ques- 
tion and  to  pass  on  those  preparations  which  should  be 
up  to  the  standard  required  of  ethical  proprietary  medi- 
cines. From  time  to  time  reports  of  this  Council  have 
appeared  in  the  columns  of  THE  JOURNAL  of  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association,  and  THE  JOURNAL  has  also  con- 
tained other  matter  relating  to  the  question  of  nostrums 
and  proprietary  medicines  not  directly  connected  with 
the  work  of  the  Council.  Requests  have  been  received 
repeatedly  for  this  or  that  number  of  THE  JOURNAL 
containing  an  article  on  the  subject,  and,  as  it  has  been 
impossible  to  furnish  many  of  the  copies  asked  for,  it 
has  been  thought  best  to  collect  some  of  the  matter  and 
issue  it  in  this  reprint  form.  The  matter  is  reprinted 
from  THE  JOURNAL,  either  in  full  or  in  abstract,  and 
the  date  on  which  the  original  article  appeared  is  given. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  EIGHTH  EDITION 


The  seventh  and  eighth  editions  have  been  compiled 
on  slightly  different  principles  from  their  predecessors. 
The  work  of  THE  JOURNAL  and  of  the  Association's  labo- 
ratory was  at  first  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  criti- 
cism and  analysis  of  the  so-called  ethical  proprietaries. 
And  rightly  so.  The  medical  profession  could  not  con- 
sistently criticise  the  nostrum  evil  so  long  as  its  own 
members  were  prescribing  nostrums.  It  was  incumbent 
on  the  profession  to  clean  its  own  backyard  before  call- 
ing attention  to  the  disreputableness  of  the  yards  of  its 
neighbors. 

As  the  more  flagrant  evils  of  the  "ethical  proprietary" 
question  were  mitigated,  the  Association  has  turned  the 
search-light  on  the  more  widespread  "patent  medicine" 
evil.  Of  necessity,  most  of  the  articles  devoted  to  "pat- 
ent medicines"  or  quackery  are  of  greater  interest  to  the 
general  public  than  they  are  to  the  medical  profession. 
The  result  has  been  that  the  number  of  inquiries  irom 
laymen  regarding  various  nostrums  and  quacks  has  been 
steadily  increasing.  It  has  been  thought  best,  therefore, 
to  publish  in  a  separate  book  all  of  the  matter  that  has 
appeared  in  the  Propaganda  for  Reform  department  of 
THE  JOURNAL  relative  to  quackery  and  to  those  nostrums 
exploited  only — or  chiefly — to  the  public.  This  has  been 
done,  and  the  result  is  the  book  "Nostrums  and  Quack- 
ery." The  present  edition  of  The  Propaganda  for 
Reform  contains,  therefore,  practically  none  of  the  mat- 
ter that  is  of  direct  interest  to  the  layman.  In  one  or 
two  cases  in  which  there  seems  to  have  been  an  "over- 
lapping," matter  that  has  already  appeared  in  "Nos- 
trums and  Quackery"  is  also  given  here.  As  a  general 
rule,  however,  the  matter  for  the  eighth  edition  of  The 
Propaganda  for  Reform  is  of  strictly  professional  inter- 
est. Those  physicians  who  are  desirous,  therefore,  of 
obtaining  in  convenient  form  the  matter  dealing  with 
"patent  medicines"  should  order  the  book  "Nostrums 
and  Quackery." 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


PART   I  :    COUNCIL  REPORTS 

Acetanilid   Mixtures 9 

Anasarcin   and   Anedemin    10 

Advertising    of    Antiseptics,    Germicides    and    Disinfectants    to 

the    Public    18 

Cactus  Grandiflorus 21 

Campho-Phenique    25 

Calcium  Glycerophosphate .  28 

Calcium   Phenolsalphonate    (Sulphocarbolate)    31 

( 'incraria  Maritima   34 

Diastase    Ferments    •. 35 

Taka   Dlasta«e   and   Liquid  Take-Diastase    42 

Dioradin  Refused  Recognition   47 

Echlnacea    53 

Erpiol    (Dr.   Schrader)    55 

False  Unicorn    (Hclonias) 56 

Formurol    57 

Gardner's  Syrup  of  Hydriodic  Acid   59 

Glycozone 62 

Labordine 64 

Lactopeptine     69 

Meat  and  Beef  Juices 71 

Medicinal   Foods    77 

Migrninin     81 

Oxychlorine     82 

Pantopon    84 

Papayans  Bell    86 

P'assifiora   and   Daniel's   Concentrated   Tincture  of   Passiflora..  90 

Liquid  Combinations   Containing  Pepsin  and  Pancreatin 91 

Phenacetin.    Sulphonal   and   Trional    93 

Phenol    Sodique    94 

Quinin    Arsenatc    97 

Quinin  Tannate    98 

Strychnin    Arsenate    101 

Succus    Alterans    102 

Sulpho   Lythin    103 

Tyrce's  Antiseptic  Powder   104 

Thialion     109 

Unicorn  Root,   Wild  Yam  and  Wild  Indigo Ill 

Proprietary   Vanadium   Preparations 112 

Vin  Marian! 114 

Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil  Compound 118 

PART    II  :    LABORATORY    CONTRIBUTIONS 

Anusol    HemoiThoidal    Suppositories 122 

Aromatic  Digestive  Tablets 124 

Burnham's   Soluble  lodin    128 

Hydrocyanate  of  Iron— Tilden 130 

Hymosa    133 

Liquid  Life   135 

Micajah's  Medicated  Uterine  Wafers   138 

Noitol  and   Anadol    142 

Saliodin    145 

Tablets  of  Bismuth,  Opium  and  Phenol 147 

Unguentine    153 

Uricedin     155 

Uriseptin    155 

Zemacol    158 

Zyme-oid    160 

PART  III  :  MISCELLANEOUS  NOSTRUMS 

Alleotone     163 

Baume  Analgesiqui'  Bengue   165 

Antidiabeticum — Bauer 166 

Antikamnia 167 

Aspiro-Lithine     178 

Benotol     179 


8  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Bromidia    182 

Bromin-Iodin    Compound    183 

Calmine     184 

Camphenol     185 

Capudine    180 

The  Chologen  Treatment  for  Gail-Stones   180 

Daniel's  Concentrated  Tincture  of  Passiflora  Incarnata 190 

Hagee's  Cordial  of  Cod-Liver  Oil   191 

Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey 194 

Ecthol    211 

Enteronol    212 

Formamint    21G 

Glyco  Thyinoline    218 

Gonococcide 219 

Headache  Cures   220 

Hydronaphthol    222 

Hydrozone  and  Tongaline    223 

lodonucleoid    225 

Iridium    226 

Iron  Tropon    227 

Jaroma     228 

Kutnow's   Powder    231 

Lysol — the   Evolution   of  a   Proprietary 234 

Maignen    Pulv    235 

Manola     236 

Marienbad  Tablets 239 

Mercol    240 

Midol   and   Nurito 241 

Narkine    243 

Oxidaze — Oleozone— Hydrocine    244 

Pantopon    Detoxicatcd    262 

Papine    262 

Pas-Avena    265 

Pepto-Mangan    (Gude) 266 

Phenalgine — a   Typical    Example .• .  267 

Pheno-Bromate   275 

Phenolphthalein     275 

Purgen     278 

This    Phylacogen    Business 279 

Pix  Cresol 285 

The  Danger  in  Protonuclein,  a  Preparation  Containing  Thyroid  287 

Resinol     288 

Rheumaticide    289 

Salacetin     ! 290 

Sal-Codeia — Bell     291 

Sal   Hepatica    292 

Sanatogen     293 

Syrup  of  Cocillana  Compound 302 

Aubergier's   Syrup  of   Lactucarium    ,  .  '. 305 

Liquid  Sulphur — Sulphume    307 

Tartarlithine     309 

Toxicity  of  the  Arylarsonates    309 

Tuberculoids     313 

Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder 314 

Vapo-Cresolene    317 

Vasogen  and   lodovasogen    317 

Zymotoid   318 

Viburnum    Compound — and    other    Nostrums 320 

PART    IV:      MISCELLANEOUS    MATTER 

Acetphenetidin  and  Phenacetin — Their  Relative  Purity 322 

DeBarthe   Treatment    326 

Dekofa    329 

Digtpoten — What    Is    It? 331 

Ergot  and  Its  Physiologic  Standardization 332 

Meat  Extracts  and  Meat  Juices 336 

Pharmaceutical  Manufacturers  and  the  Great  American   Fraud  340 

Odin's  Alleged  Discovery  of  a   "Cancer   Germ" 342 

Ozonized   Testimonials    344 

Sour  Milk  Therapy 346 

Epinephrin    349 


THE  PROPAGANDA  FOR  REFORM 
IN  PROPRIETARY  MEDICINES 


PART  J 
COUNCIL  REPORTS 


ACETANILID    MIXTURES 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: 

In  response  to  the  request  of  your  chairman  we  have  investi- 
gated the  below-mentioned  preparations  and  report  as  follows: 

Specimens  of  the  articles  were  bought  in  different  cities  in 
the  open  market,  and  in  original  sealed  packages,  and  were 
analyzed. by  some  of  us  or  under  our  direction.  Each  article 
was  examined  by  at  least  two  chemists,  and  some  were  sub- 
jected to  several  analyses.  While  certain  of  the  preparations 
are  represented  as  being  chemical  compounds,  the  specimens 
examined  were  all  found,  to  be  mixtures;  the  principal  ingredi- 
ent being  acetanilid.  The  percentage  proportions  of  acetanilid 
given  below  are  the  minimum  obtained  by  any  of  the  analysts. 

Soda  and  ammonia,  combined  with  carbonic  acid,  are  calcu- 
lated and  reported  as  sodium  bicarbonate  and  as  ammonium 
carbonate  (U.  S.  P.)  respectively.  Salicylic  acid  is  calculated 
and  reported  as  sodium  salicylate.  Diluents  and  other  con- 
stituents than  those  reported  were  not  determined. 

AMMONOL 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  be  a  mixture, 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given: 

Acetanilid.  Sodium  Bicarb.  Ammonium  Carb. 

50.  25.  20. 

ANTIKAMNIA  * 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  be  a  mixture, 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given : 

Acetanilid         Caffein         Citric  Acid         Sodium  Bicarb. 
68.  5.  5.  20. 

KOEHLEE'S  HEADACHE  POWDEBS 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  be  a  mixture. 

*  Seo  also  article  in  Part  III,  page  187. 


10  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given: 

Acetanllid  Caffein 

76.  22 

OBANGEINE 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  he  a  mixture, 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given: 

Acetanilid  Sodium  Bicarb.  Caffein 

43.  18.  10. 

Other  constituents  said  to  be  present  were  not  determined. 

PHENALGIN 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  be  a  mixture, 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given: 

Acetanilid  Sodium    Bicarb.  Ammonium   Garb. 

57.  29.  10. 

Certain  packages  of  phenalgin  were  purchased  which  on 
analysis  did  not  show  ammonium  carbonate. 

SALACETIN 

According  to  the  analyses  of  the  contents  of  the  original 
sealed  packages  as  purchased,  this  was  found  to  be  a  mixture, 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in  the 
proportions  given: 

Acetanilid  Sodium  Bicarb.  Sodium  Salicylate 

43.  21.  20. 

We  recommend  that  this  report  be  printed  in  THE  JOURNAL 
of  the  American  Medical  Association. 

Respectfully    submitted. 
J.  H.  LONG,  M.S.,  Sc.D.,        N 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  PH.G.  Committee   on    Chemistry, 

S.  P.  SADTLER,  PH.D.,  ^  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 

J.  STIEGLITZ,  PH.D.,  Chemistry  of  the  A.  M.  A. 

H.  W.  WILEY,  M.D.,  PH.D.,  ) 

(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  June  3,  1905.) 


ANASARCIN    AND    ANEDEMIN 

Reports  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  and  Com- 
ments   Thereon 

The  following  reports  were  submitted  to  the  Council  by  the 
subcommittee  to  which  these  articles  were  assigned: 

ANASARCIN  • 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — Your  subcom- 
mittee to  whom  Anasarcin  (Anasarcin  Chemical  Co.,  Winches- 
ter, Tenn.)  was  assigned,  herewith  submits  its  report: 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  .         11 

This  remedy  is  offered  in  two  forms:  "Anasarcin  Tablets," 
a  pretended  combination  of  the  active  principles  of  oxydendron 
arboreum,  sambucus  canadensis,  and  urginea  scilla;  and  "Ana- 
sarcin Elixir,"  said  to  contain  the  active  principles  of  oxyden- 
dron, sambucus,  hepatica  and  potassium  nitrate.  The  adver- 
tisements of  these  articles  conflict  with  the  rules  of  the  Coun 
cil  as  follows: 

With  Rules  1  and  2:  The  composition  of  these  articles  is 
kept  secret,  in  that  the  proportion  of  the  ingredients  is  not 
furnished.  The  statement  that  it  contains  the  "active  prin- 
ciples" is  misleading,  since  these  are  for  the  most  part  un- 
known. 

With  Rule  6:  The  description  of  the  pharmacologic  action 
of  Anasarcin  agrees  practically  with  that  of  squill.  No  mate- 
rial part  of  its  effects  can  be  attributed  to  the  other  ingredi- 
ents. Nevertheless,  the  advertisement  studiously  cultivates  the 
impression  that  Anasarcin  has  no  relation  whatever  to  the 
digitalis  group  in  which  scilla  is  commonly  placed.  The  claims 
are  therefore  misleading.  The  claim  of  its  infinite  superiority 
to  digitalis,  the  claims  that  it  cures  neurasthenia,  eliminates 
uric  acid  in  rheumatism,  and  is  useful  in  obesity,  cystitis,  lum- 
bago and  eclampsia,  dyspepsia  and  asthma,  and  that  it  works 
\vonders  in  exophthalmic  goiter,  appear  exaggerated  or  false. 

The  recommendation  of  its  indiscriminate  use  in  nephritis, 
for  lowering  the  blood-pressure  and  the  statement  (contra- 
dicted in  the  firm's  own  literature)  that  it  is  not  depressing, 
are  actually  dangerous. 

It  is  recommended  that  the  articles  be  refused  recognition, 
and  that  the  report,  with  explanations,  be  published. 

ANEDEMIN 

To  the  Council: — Your  subcommittee  to  whom  Anedemin 
(Anedemin  Chemical  Co.,  Winchester,  Tenn.)  was  assigned 
herewith  submits  its  report: 

Anedemin  is  an  evident  imitation  of  Anasarcin.  It  is  mark- 
eted as  tablets,  said  to  contain  the  isolated  active  principles 
of  strophanthus,  apocynum,  squill  and  sambucus — chemically 
combined.  The  quantities  are  not  stated.  The  therapeutic 
claims  are  copied  almost  literally  from  the  Anasarcin  circulars 
and  are  equally  false.  Anedemin,  therefore,  conflicts  with 
Rules  1,  5,  6  and  7. 

It  is  recommended  that  this  report  be  published,  with  com- 
ments. 

The  reports  were  adopted  by  the  Council  and  are  herewith 
published. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Anasarcin 

This  wonderful  remedy,  Anasarcin,  has  already  been  exposed 
in  these  columns  (THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A,  Jan.  27,  1906),  but 
it  deserves  additional  mention,  as  it  teaches  several  important 
lessons  of  general  application.  It  is  a  typical  example  of  the 
revival,  under  a  new  name  and  a  thin  disguise,  of  an  old,  time- 
Worn  article,  squill,  presumably  because  experience  has  demon- 
strated its  general  inferiority  to  other  drugs.  Anasarcin  fur- 


12  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

ther  illustrates  the  dangers  involved  in  the  use  of  semi-secret 
nostrums.  It  also  shows  how  a  short  experience  with  a  widely 
advertised  but  little  understood  drug  is  apt  to  lead  to  conclu- 
sions which  more  extensive  experience  demonstrates  to  be 
entirely  fallacious. 

The  first  lesson  is,  that  formulas  are  not  always  what  they 
seem.  A  hasty  glance  at  the  formula  of  Anasarcin  tablets,  the 
basis  of  the  Anasarcin  dropsy  cure,  creates  the  impression  that 
it  is  a  non-secret  remedy;  for  it  is  said  to  represent  a  combina- 
tion of  the  active  principles  of  oxydendron,  sambucus  and 
scilla.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  a  secret  nostrum  of  the 
insidious  kind.  A  formula  which  omits  the  quantities  of  its 
potent  ingredients  means  very  little.  Further  than  this,  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  charge  that  the  claimed  composition  is  a  delib- 
erate deception.  The  circulars  emphasize  the  claim  that  Ana- 
sarcin consists  of  the  isolated  principles,  and  not  of  the  crude 
drugs.  Now,  the  isolated  active  principles  of  sambucus  and 
oxydendron  are  not  on  the  market,  for  the  good  and  sufficient 
reason  that  no  active  principles  have  ever  been  isolated.  Are 
we  to  believe  that  the  Anasarcin  Company  has  surpassed  the 
accredited  chemists  and  has  discovered  such  principles  and  is 
isolating  them?  We  shall  have  more  to  say  on  this  subject 
presently;  but  any  one  in  the  least  familiar  with  the  difficul- 
ties attending  the  isolation  of  organic  principles  knows  such 
an  idea  to  be  preposterous.  Indeed,  it  is  absolutely  incompati- 
ble with  the  exhibition  of  ignorance  of  the  elementary  facts  of 
pharmaceutical  chemistry  which  is  given  by  these  people  when 
they  call  the  active  principles  of  digitalis  and  squill  "alka- 
loids." 

It  is  an  axiom  that  the  effects  of  a  mixture  can  only  be 
understood  if  the  action  of  its  components  are  known.  So  far 
as  we  know,  the  physiologic  effects  of  oxydendron  and  sam- 
bucus have  never  been  scientifically  investigated,  for  the  sim- 
ple reason  that  they  are  too  slight  and  indefinite  to  promise 
results.  Both  are  credited  with  some  slight,  obscure  diuretic 
action.  Oxydendron,  the  sour  wood  or  sorrel  tree,  is  a  small 
tree  of  the  heath  family,  the  acid  leaves  of  which  are  said  to 
be  chewed  by  hunters  for  their  pleasant  taste  and  for  the  relief 
of  thirst.  Sambucus  is  the  common  elder.  It  is  most  unlikely 
that  these  two  innocuous  substances  should  play  any  part  in 
the  claimed  powerful  effect  of  Anasarcin;  they  are  evidently 
put  in  the  formula,  we  do  not  say  in  the  preparation,  to 
obscure  the  fact  that  Anasarcin  is  composed  principally  of 
squill.  That  this  is  so  can  be  gathered  unmistakably  from  a 
study  of  the  pharmacologic  action  of  Anasarcin  as  described 
by  its  promoters: 

Acting  primarily  on  tbe  heart  and  nrterial  systems  through  the 
nerve  ganglia,  a  natural  physiologic  balance  is  established  between 
the  arterial  and  venous  systems,  whereby  effusions  .  .  .  arc 
eliminated  .  .  .  Coincident  with  this  action  there  is  a  note- 
worthy slowing  of  the  pulse.  ...  If  the  remedy  is  pushed, 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  13 

can  be  brought  down  to  20  or  30  beats  per  minute.  ...  Its 
physiological  action  is  to  stimulate  the  cardiac  motor-ganglia 
through  the  cardiac  plexus  of  the  sympathetic  system  and  at  the 
same  time  exert  an  inhibitory  influence  upon  the  cardiac  fibers  of 
the  pneumogastric,  thereby  dilating  the  arterioles,  slowing  the 
heart's  action,  and  increasing  the  force  of  the  systole.  .  .  .  The 
prolonged  diastole  allows  the  ventricle  time  to  completely  fill,  and 
the  more  forcible  contraction  causes  the  mitral  valve  to  close  more 
-thoroughly  and  at  the  same  time  increases  pressure  in  the  coronary 
arteries,  serving  thereby  the  double  purpose  of  relieving  pulmo- 
nary engorgement  and  increasing  heart  nutrition. 
Anasarcin  will  nauseate  some  persons. 

To  appreciate  fully  the  meaning  of  this  description  of  the 
actions  of  Anasarcin,  it  should  be  compared  with  the  effects  of 
the  digitalis  group,  to  which  squill  belongs.  The  following 
account  is  quoted  literally  from  a  recent  Text-Book  of  Phar- 
macology (Sollmann): 

The  phenomena  of  the  therapeutic  stage  of  digitalis  action 
are  said  to  be: 

1.  Slowing   of   the   heart,    with    systole    and    diastole    both 
lengthened. 

2.  Increased  strength  of  beat,  leading  to  greater  efficiency 
of  the  individual  contractions,  and  to  an  increase  in  the  total 
efficiency. 

3.  A  tendency  to  the  systolic  phase. 

4.  A  rise   of   blood-pressure,    due   mainly   to   the   increased 
action  of  the  heart,  but  partly  also  to  a  vaso-constriction. 

The  therapeutic  action  may  be  explained,  in  part,  as  follows : 

A  larger  amount  of  blood  will  be  thrown  into  the  aorta  and 
coronary  circulation.  The  first  effect  will  be  an  improved 
nutrition  of  the  heart.  .  .  .  The  tonic  action  .  .  .  nar- 
rows the  ring  of  the  valves,  brines  them  together,  narrows  the 
orifice.  .  .  .  The  venous  congestion  will  tend  to  be  relieved. 
This  relief  .  .  .  will  fall  in  the  first  place  upon  the  lunes. 
.  .  .  The  lowering  of  the  venous  pressure  will  tend  to  cause 
absorption  of  the  effusions. 

The  nauseant  action  ot  squill,  which  is  alluded  to  in  connec- 
tion with  Anasarcin,  is  too  well  known  to  require  more  than  a 
mention. 

In  brief,  then,  it  appears  from  the  statements  of  the  Ana- 
sarcin Company  that  the  action  of  the  remedy  is  that  of  squill 
and  that  the  other  ingredients  are  a  mere  blind.  It  is,  of 
course,  well  known  that  squill  can  be  used  as  a  substitute  for 
digitalis  in  cardiac  dropsy,  although  it  is  generally  considered 
very  inferior  to  the  latter  drug.  Rose  Bradford,  for  instance, 
states:  "Squill  is  not  used  to  any  extent  in  the  treatment  of 
cardiac  disease  and  cardiac  dropsy,  digitalis  being  a  far  more 
efficient  and  less  toxic  substance."  However,  it  has  been  fre- 
quently observed  that  digitalis  occasionally  fails,  and  it  may 
then  be  replaced  successfully  by  another  member  of  the  group. 


14  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

At  all  events,  it  is  very  likely  that  squill  is  a  fairly  efficient 
substitute  for  digitalis,  especially  when  it  is  supplemented  by 
a  very  free  course  of  Epsom  salts  and  by  potassium  nitrate 
(the  active  ingredient  of  Anasarcin  Elixir),  both  of  which  are 
stated  to  be  essential  adjuvants  to  the  Anasarcin  (or  squill) 
tablets.  There  can  be  no  objection  to  the  use  of  squill  when 
it  is  indicated;  but  any  one  who  wishes  to  use  it  should  do  so 
with  his  eyes  open,  knowing  what  substance  he  is  using  and 
how  much  (which  he  does  not  in  Anasarcin)  ;  knowing  also 
that  it  has  the  same  indications  and  limitations  as  digitalis. 
He  should  not  be  misled  by  such  statements  as  the  following: 

"Does  what  dropsy  medicaments  have  hitherto  failed  to 
accomplish." 

"Superior  to  digitalis,  strophanthus,  scoparius,  squills,  acetate 
of  potash  and  the  hydragogue  cathartics  all  put  together." 

"The  only  known  relief  [how  modest!]  and  permanent  cure  of 
dropsies. " 

"Unrivaled  heart  tonic."     "The  most  powerful  agent  known." 

Any  one  wishing  to  use  squill  should  take  the  trouble  to 
acquaint  himself  with  the  results  obtained  by  competent  and 
independent  observers,  and  not  rely  on  it  in  eclampsia,  septi- 
cemia,  "vices  of  civilization,"  all  forms  of  neurasthenia,  as 
"an  active  eliminator  of  uric  acid  in  rheumatism,"  in  hepatic 
cirrhosis,  dyspepsia,  asthma,  obesity,  cystitis  (  ! )  lumbago, 
exophthalmic  goiter,  etc. 

He  should  also  learn  the  contra-indications  to  the  use  of 
squill,  deducible  from  the  fact  that  it  causes  vasoconstriction 
and  raises  the  blood-pressure  (prohibiting  its  use  in  Bright's 
disease  and  arteriosclerosis),  and  that  it  produces  marked 
gastric  irritation,  consequently  nausea  and  depression,  that  it 
is  a  very  toxic  agent,  and  that  the  dangers  of  cumulative  action 
must  be  borne  in  mind.  In  respect  to  these  the  advertisements 
of  the  Anasarcin  people  are  little  short  of  criminal,  for  these 
state: 

"Safe  in  administration."  "Non-toxic  as  ordinarily  administered." 
"Will  nauseate  some  persons,"  but  "the  reaction  from  the  tem- 
porary denression  is  prompt."  "In  Bright's  disease,  both  the  inter- 
stitial and  parenchymatous  forms  of  nephritis,  acute  or  chronic,  no 
remedy  ...  to  equal  it  in  efficacy."  "Without  increasing1  the 
debility  of  the  patient  or  interfering  with  nutrition  by  producing 
loss  of  appetite...  "This  treatment  is  to  be  continued  without 
cessation  until  ail  symptoms  of  dropsy  have  disappeared." 

Physicians  who  are  inclined  to  disregard  this  warning,  and 
who  follow  the  advice  of  the  Anasarcin  people,  should  remem- 
ber that  their  patients — or  their  friends — will  put  the  blame 
for  the  results,  which  are  bound  to  follow  sooner  or  later,  on 
the  prescribers,  and  not  on  the  deceptive  advertisements  of  the 
Anasarcin  Chemical  Company. 

There  is  another  little  matter  which  throws  an  illuminating 
side-light  on  the  Anasarcin  Company.  They  take  every  occa- 
sion to  say  that  Anasarcin  is  "not  offered  to  the  laitv,"  "never 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  15 

sold  to  the  laity,"  etc.;  but  witness  the  following,  which  was 
found  in  the  Retail  Druggist  of  May,  1906,  p.  179.  The  italics 
are  ours. 

CURE   FOR   DROPSY. 

"As  every  druggist  knows,  dropsy  has  been  one  of  the  incurable 
diseases  when  caused  either  from  heart,  liver  or  kidney  trouble.  A 
pharmacist  in  Winchester,  Tenn.,  has-  worked  out  a  remedy  called 
Anasarcin,  which  he  is  exploiting  to  the  physicians,  and  his  remedy 
is  showing  itself  as  possessing  great  merit.  Several  hopeless  cases 
bave  been  treated  as  a  last  resort  by  Anasarcin  and  in  a  very  short 
time  the  patient  has  shown  marked  improvement  ind  has  effected 
permanent  euros. 

"The  result  of  the  cases  as  handled  by  the  physician  with  the  aid 
of  Anasarcin  has  been  so  easily  and  quickly  cured  that  physicians 
of  Tennessee  and  the  southern  states  are  high  in  their  praises  of 
the  remedy.  The  company  which  now  manufactures  and  sells  it  is 
known  as  the  Anasarcin  Chemical  Co.,  of  Winchester,  Tenn.  Any 
druggist  ^tcho  knows  of  a  case  of  dropsy  would  'be  conferring  a 
favor  on  the  patient  and  mankind  in  general  'by  telling  the  party 
or  his  physician  of  the  southern  pharmacist,  and  we  have  no  doubt 
but  what  a  prompt  relief  and  permanent  cure  would  he  affected." 
[Probably  means  effected. — ED.] 

Anedemin 

If  we  are  disposed  to  doubt  the  vaunted  scientific  ability  of 
the  Anasarcin  Company,  we  are  forced  to  admire  their  busi- 
ness methods,  at  least,  if  there  is  any  truth  in  the  saying  that 
imitation  is  the  seal  of  success.  Anasarcin  has  had  this  rather 
undesirable  compliment  paid  to  it,  for  its  native  town  of  Win- 
chester has  given  birth  to  another  remedy,  Anedemin,  which 
looks  like  a  fair-haired  twin  brother.  The  Anedemin  Com- 
pany has  adopted  Anasarcin  almost  bodily.  The  name — 
"opposed  to  edema" — is  about  as  close  as  the  copyright  laws 
permit.  The  pharmacologic  and  therapeutic  claims  agree 
almost  literally  with  those  of  Anasarcin  and  contain  the  same 
exaggerations  and  dangerous  misstatements.  There  is  the 
same  emphasis  on  free  purgation  with  Epsom  salts.  The  dose 
is  the  same.  Both  are  marketed  at  $2.00  for  a  box  of  100 — 
only  the  Andemin  people  have  adopted  the  prize  package  device 
of  throwing  in  20  or  30  tablets  extra,  for  good  measure,  and 
give  a  discount  of  75  cents  or  so. 

In  short,  the  Anedemin  Company  has  appropriated  all  of 
Anasarcin  which  they  considered  of  any  value.  It  is,  there- 
fore, rather  suggestive  that  they  drew  the  line  at  the  formula. 
Anasarcin  is  said  to  contain  squill,  sambucus  and  oxydendron; 
Anedemin  discards  the  oxydendron  and  reinforces  the  squill 
with  strophanthus  and  apocynum.  Notwithstanding  this  mate- 
rial change  in  composition,  the  actions  are  described  as  iden- 
tical; this  is  again  rather  suggestive. 

The  Anedemin  Company,  like  the  Anasarcin  Company,  scorns 
crude  drugs  and  claims  to  use  only  the  isolated  principles.  It 
was  saved  the  trouble  of  discovering  active  principles  for 
strophanthus  and  apocynum,  for  these  are  known;  but  it  man- 


16  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

aged  to  find  some  scope  for  its  inventive  genius,  "both  drugs 
being  so  chemically  treated  and  disposed  as  to  absolutely  elimi- 
nate all  objectionable  and  disagreeable  properties  and  effects" 
go  as  to  convert  a  vasoconstrictor  action  into  a  dilator  action ; 
so  as  to  render  them  non-toxic  and  non-cumulative;  so  as  to 
deprive  apocynum  of  its  characteristic  nauseant  effect.  Who 
can  say  that  the  days  of  miracles  are  past?  Even  this  is  not 
the  limit  of  Anedemin  alchemy;  if  we  are  to  believe  their 
claims,  they  have  succeeded  in  forcing  strophanthin,  apocynum, 
scillain,  etc.,  to  combine  with  each  other:  "It  is  a  definite 
chemical  compound  of  the  active  principles"  of  these  drugs! 
This  makes  the  achievements  of  Emil  Fischer  in  synthesizing 
sugars  and  proteids  appear  as  mere  child's  play. 

Since  the  formulas  were  completed,  however,  clinical  reports 
have  been  numerous  enough — almost  too  numerous,  if  we  are 
to  believe  them.  Anedemin  has  been  on  the  market  for  less 


Laboratory    and    Warehouse   of    the    Anasarcin    Chemical    Company, 
Winchester,  Term. 

than  three  years;  the  circulars  emphasize  that  testimonials 
and  endorsements  are  not  solicited.  Nevertheless,  we  are  told 
that  it  is  "endorsed  by  over  fifty  thousand  clinicians  through- 
out the  United  States."  Since  the  total  number  of  physicians 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  is  only  about  128,000,  this 
means  that  nearly  every  second  physician  has  endorsed  Ane- 
demin. The  Anasarcin  Company  solicits  endorsements  and 
they  seem  to  do  the  larger  business.  Hence  the  majority  of 
physicians  of  the  United  States  must  have  written  an  endorse- 
ment of  either  Anedemin  or  Anasarcin,  or  both.  Or  is  this 
statement  another  "invention"?  It  is  a  little  peculiar  that 
nearly  all  the  endorsements  come  from  small  towns  in  sparsely 
settled  districts;  practically  none  from  the  centers  of  popula- 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  17 

tion.    Does  this  mean  that  dropsy  is  more  common  in  the  rural 
communities  than  in  the  cities? 

THE  INVENTORS   OF  ANASABCIN  AND   ANEDEMIN 

Even  the  newspapers,  when  they  tax  our  credulity  with  pre- 
tended scientific  "discoveries,"  feel  the  moral  obligation  of 
justifying  themselves  by  telling  us  something  of  the  person- 
ality and  experience  of  the  discoverers.  We  may  ask,  there- 
fore, who  are  these  expert  pharmaceutic  and  synthetic  chem- 
ists, these  manufacturers  of  active  principles,  these  skilled 
clinicians  of  wide  experience,  who  have  "intelligently  built  up 
the  formula  by  wide  application"?  What  are  we  told  of  these 
men  who  ask  us  to  believe,  on  their  mere  assurance,  in  miracles 
and  feats  of  magic;  who  tell  us  that  they  have  converted  neu- 
tral principles  into  alkaloids,  that  they  have  effected  definite 
chemical  compounds  between  these  neutral  principles,  that  they 
have  discovered  principles  that  do  not  exist,  that  they  have 
changed  the  actions  of  these  principles  to  suit  their  wishes, 
that,  in  short,  they  have  reversed  the  laws  of  Nature? 

These  companies  are  located  in  Winchester,  Tenn.,  a  town  of 
about  1,500  inhabitants,  situated  in  an  agricultural  country. 
The  town  boasts  of  neither  scientific  schools,  colleges,  universi- 
ties nor  laboratories.  The  Anasarcin  Company  was  organized 
in  1902,  the  incorporators  and  directors  being  Dr.  John  W. 
Grisard  and  his  sons,  Dr.  John  P.  Grisard,  B.  A.  Grisard,  and 
A.  F.  Grisard,  and  Will  E.  Walker,  all  of  Winchester.  Dr. 
John  W.  Grisard  seems  to  be  the  originator  and  promoter  of 
Anasarcin.  W.  E.  Walker  is  an  insurance  solicitor  of  Win- 
chester and  is  not  actively  identified  with  the  business.  We 
are  informed  that  he  owns  but  a  single  share  of  stock  having 
a  face  value  of  $100,  and  that  he  was  added  to  the  company  in 
order  to  comply  with  the  laws  of  Tennessee,  which  require  five 
directors  for  any  corporation.  Dr.  John  W.  Grisard,  the  father, 
has  practically  retired,  but  still  has  a  general  supervising 
interest  in  the  business.  There  is  no  regularly  licensed  phar- 
macist or  chemist  connected  with  the  company.  The  office  is  in 
the  rear  of  a  jewelry  store  in  the  business  part  of  Winchester 
and  on  the  second  floor  above.  According  to  our  reporter,  an 
office  force  of  about  ten  stenographers  and  clerks  handles  the 
correspondence  and  labels  and  sends  out  the  preparation  which 
is  made  in  a  crude  frame  building  located  on  a  side  street  and 
without  laboratory  equipment.  According  to  our  reporter,  the 
work  is  done  by  the  Grisards  and  a  colored  man. 

The  Anedemin  Chemical  Company  was  organized  in  1905 
with  a  capital  of  $20,000,  the  incorporators  and  directors  being 
Dr.  T.  B.  Anderton,  Floyd  Estill,  J.  J.  Lynch,  J.  M.  Littleton 
and  I.  G.  Phillips,  all  residents  of  Winchester,  and  all  lawyers 
with  the  exception  of  Dr.  T.  B.  Anderton.  A  Mr.  Gordon,  a 
clerical  employee  of  the  company,  is  reported  to  have  active 
charge  of  the  business,  to  prepare  the  medicine  and  conduct 
the  correspondence.  The  office  headquarters,  laboratory  and 


18  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

complete  outfit  of  the  Anedemin  Company  comprises  two  rooms 
over  the  law  office  of  Estill  &  Littleton.  No  one  connected 
with  the  company  is  a  regularly  licensed  pharmacist  or  grad- 
uate chemist. 

Of  the  six  physicians  located  in  Winchester,  three  of  them 
(50  per  cent.)  are  engaged  in  the  dropsical  cure  business.  Poor 
Winchester!  Aside  from  their  connection  with,  these  two  nos- 
trums, these  physicians  may  be  estimable  and  worthy  citizens, 
but  where,  pray,  did  they  find  the  extensive  clinical  facilities 
and  pharmaceutical  knowledge  necessary  for  their  wonderful 
and  epoch-making  discovery?  Were  they  aided  in  their  scien- 
tific work  by  the  four  lawyers  connected  with  the  Anedemin 
Company  or  by  the  insurance  solicitor  who  is  a  director  of  the 
Anasarcin  Company?  Did  the  1,500  inhabitants  of  the  town 
furnish  the  vast  clinical  material  necessary  for  discovering  and 
working  out  the  formulas  of  these  two  preparations?  If  so, 
we  fear  that  dropsical  affections  are  much  more  prevalent  in 
Winchester  than  in  any  other  known  spot  on  the  globe.  This 
matter  should  be  investigated.  Without  doubt  the  vital  sta- 
tistics of  Franklin  County  would  be  most  interesting  and  we 
commend  them  to  the  special  attention  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  Tennessee. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  4  and 
11,  1907.) 


ADVERTISING     OF     ANTISEPTICS,     GERMICIDES     AND 

DISINFECTANTS     TO     THE     PUBLIC 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

With  the  view  of  encouraging  the  use  of  reliable  and  efficient 
antiseptics,  germicides  and  disinfectants  by  the  public,  so  far 
as  is  compatible  with  safety,  the  Council  appointed  a  committee 
to  formulate  conditions  under  which  the  advertising  to  the 
public  of  such  preparations  accepted  for  inclusion  with  Xew 
and  Nonofficial  Remedies  should  be  permitted. 

The  Council  adopted  a  report  which  authorizes  the  adver- 
tising of  antiseptic  and  germicidal  preparations  to  the  public- 
provided  that  the  advertising  is  limited  to  recommendations 
for  use  as  a  prophylactic  application  to  superficial  cuts  and 
abrasions  of  the  skin  and  to  the  mucous  surfaces  except  those 
of  the  eye  and  the  gastro-intestinal  and  genito-urinary  tracts. 
The  report  follows. 

W.  A.  POCKNEB,  Secretary. 

Report  of  the  Committee  on  Advertising  of  Antiseptics,  Germi- 
cides and  Disinfectants  to  the  Public 

Antiseptics,  germicides  and  disinfectants  are  freely  used  by 
the  public  and  as  the  result  has  proved,  on  the  whole,  to  be 
beneficial,  no  restriction  of  this  use  has  hitherto  seemed  advis- 
able, contrary  to  that  advocated  for  remedies  taken  internally. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  19 

This  principle  has  been  recognized  by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry  in  Rule  3: 

"No  article  that  is  advertised  to  the  public  will  be  admitted,  but 
this  rule  will  not  apply  to  disinfectants  advertised  for  uses  other 
thaa  en  the  human  body  or  to  non-medicinal  food  preparations, 
except  when  advertised  in  an  objectionable  manner." 

In  the  advertising  of  antiseptics,  germicides  and  disinfec- 
tants directly  to  the  general  public,  the  first  and  only  con- 
sideration should  be  the  public  welfare,  and  two  distinct  divi- 
sions of  the  question  may  thus  be  formulated: 

1.  Shall  the  exploitation  to  the  public  of  antiseptic,  germi- 
cidal  and  disinfective  preparations  (already  accepted  for  inclu- 
sion with  ^New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies)    be  permitted  when 
these  preparations  are  to  be  used  on  the  human  body? 

2.  Or,  shall  their  exploitation  be  limited  to  recommendations 
for  veterinary  use  or  for  uses  other  than  those  on  the  human 
body? 

The  arguments  advanced  in  favor  of  the  first  division  are: 

A.  The  general  public  is  constantly  using  some  antiseptic 
solutions,    advertised    for    cuts,    bruises,    and    other    external 
injuries.     Why  should  not  the  public  be  aided  in  selecting  the 
most  effective  preparation? 

B.  Antiseptic  mouth-washes,   tooth  powders,  etc.,  are  com- 
monly used  without  consulting  a  physician.    The  employment 
of  efficient  substances  for  these  purposes  is  beneficial,  and  it 
would  be  a  distinct  benefit  were  the  public  given  more  definite 
instruction  regarding  their  use,  particularly  for  prophylaxis. 

C.  Ordinarily  the  use  of  antiseptics  for  the  above-mentioned 
purposes  is  not  likely  to  handicap  the  physician  in  his  efforts 
to  conserve  the  public  health. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  general  use  of  safe,  non-pro- 
prietary antiseptics  and  germicides  like  boric  acid  and  hydro- 
gen peroxid  does  much  good  and  little  harm.  The  public 
is  fairly  well  informed  concerning  both  the  advantages  and 
limitations  of  these  remedies,  because  no  one  is  interested  in 
misrepresenting  their  action  or  exaggerating  their  merits.  The 
situation  is  different  with  regard  to  proprietary  antiseptics. 
The  constant  tendency  is  to  assure  the  public  that  the  remedy 
is  a  sure  preventive  or  cure  of  all  kinds  of  diseases  and  to 
encourage  its  use  in  all  conditions.  Thus  the  public  is  led 
to  feel  a  sense  of  safety  in  the  presence  of  danger  and  this 
often  keeps  the  individual  from  obtaining  that  treatment 
which  is  necessary  to  prevent  serious  illness.  The  advertising 
of  proprietary  antiseptics,  germicides  and  disinfectants  by 
means  of  pamphlets  and  circulars  accompanying  the  trade 
package  is  particularly  objectionable  and  liable  to  be  harmful 
to  the  public,  if  the  claims  are  exaggerated  or  if  the  article 
is  recommended  as  a  treatment  of  specified  diseases. 


20  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

One  needs  only  to  recall  the  advertisements  in  the  lay  press, 
during  a  recent  epidemic  of  meningitis,  of  a  proprietary  anti- 
septic preparation  which,  it  was  claimed,  would  prevent  and 
cure  the  disease  if  applied  to  the  mucous  membrane  of  nose 
and  throat.  Likewise  the  use  of  another  proprietary  antisep 
tic  preparation  exploited  to  the  public  by  means  of  recommen- 
dations accompanying  the  trade  package  has  lured  many  a 
victim  of  venereal  diseases  into  a  sense  of  safety  and  thus 
deprived  him  of  proper  treatment. 

Tragedies  of  this  nature  are  bound  to  occur  with  inefficient 
'  remedies  dishonestly  exploited.  It  is  to  be  determined  whether 
the  sanction  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  for 
conservative  advertising  to  the  public  of  good  antiseptics, 
germicides  and  disinfectants  for  the  purposes  indicated  would 
decrease  or  increase  the  number  of  such  mistakes. 

Experience  shows  that  proprietary  brands  of  hydrogen 
peroxid,  an  otherwise  most  valuable  germicide,  have  been 
falsely  advertised  to  the  public,  in  the  lay  press,  or  by  means 
of  circulars  accompanying  the  trade  packages,  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  to  encourage  the  belief  that  they  are  capable  of  pre- 
venting diphtheria,  tetanus  and  other  diseases  amenable  to 
cure  only  by  proper  medical  measures. 

The  following  paragraph  (quoted  from  the  comments  on 
Rule  3  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies)  pointing  out  the 
objections  of  lay  advertising  of  proprietary  remedies  in  general 
applies  with  equal  force  to  the  dangers  of  advertising  antisep- 
tics and  germicides  to  the  public: 

"The  impossibility  of  controlling  the  irresponsible  claims  which 
are  usually  made  in  advertisements  to  the  public,  the  well-known 
danger  of  suggesting  by  descriptions  of  symptoms  to  the  minds  of 
the  people  that  they  arc  suffering  from  the  many  diseases  described, 
the  dangers  of  an  unconscious  and  innocent  formation  of  a  drug 
habit,  and  the  evils  of  harmful  self-medication,  including  the  dan- 
gers of  the  spread  of  many  infectious  and  contagious  diseases  when 
hidden  from  the  physician,  and  similar  well-known  considerations 
are  the  reasons  for  discouraging,  in  the  interest  and  for  the  safety 
of  the  public,  this  reprehensible  form  of  exploitation." 

It  is  our  opinion  that  the  harm  likely  to  result  from  lay 
advertising  of  proprietary  antiseptics,  germicides  and  disin- 
fectants for  use  on  the  human  body,  except  as  a  means  of 
prophylaxis,  far  outweighs  the  possible  good. 

The  advertising  of  antiseptics,  germicides  and  disinfectants 
for  veterinary  use  and  as  a  means  of  prophylaxis  is  not  open 
to  the  same  criticisms.  Especially  is  truthful  advertising  of 
disinfectants  for  privy  vaults,  manure  heaps,  stagnant  pools 
of  water,  soiled  clothing,  etc.,  a  valuable  means  of  educating 
the  public  in  these  matters  of  sanitation. 

It  appears  to  the  committee  that  proper  advertising  to  the 
laity  of  disinfectants  for  veterinary  and  non-medicinal  use 
does  not  imperil  the  health  of  the  community,  as  is  the  case 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  21 

with  preparations  used  for  medicinal  purposes.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  public  to  receive  reliable 
information  concerning  the  value  of  these  preparations  for  the 
prevention  of  disease  and  concerning  the  best  methods  for  their 
employment. 

At  the  present  time  inferior  preparations  are  found  in  a 
large  proportion  of  households,  and  the  Council  would  thus 
confer  a  real  boon  to  the  public  by  endorsing  reliable  prepara- 
tions. It  is  therefore  recommended  that  the  Council  permit 
the  advertising  to  the  -public  of  antiseptics,  germicides  and  dis- 
infectants accepted  for  inclusion  with  new  and  Nonofficial  Rem- 
edies, and  that  the  following  should  be  added  to  Rule  3  of  the 
Council : 

The  advertising  to  the  public  of  antiseptics,  germicides  and  dis- 
infectants accepted  for  inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies 
shall  be  permitted,  provided  that  it  be  limited  to  conservative  recom- 
mendations for  their  use  as  prophylactic  applications  to  superficial 
cuts  and  abrasions  of  the  skin  and  to  the  mucous  surfaces  except 
those  of  the  eye  and  the  g-astro-intestinal  and  genito-urinary  tracts. 
In  no  case  shall  it  include  recommendations  for  use  as  curative 
agents,  nor  shall  the  names  of  any  diseases  be  mentioned  in  such 
exploitation. 

If  the  preparation  is  sufficiently  toxic  to  require  caution  in  its 
use  to  prevent  poisoning,  this  fact  shall  be  stated  on  the  label. 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  13,  1912) 


CACTUS    GRANDIFLORUS 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  Council  voted  that  cactus  grandiflorus  should  not  be 
accepted  for  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  and  that  a  state- 
ment be  prepared  for  THE  JOURNAL  giving  the  reasons  for  this 
action.  Accordingly  the  following  report  has  been  adopted  by 
the  Council  and  its  publication  authorized. 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

Cactus  Grandiflorus 

The  therapeutic  value  of  this  plant  has  been  variously  esti- 
mated by  different  observers.  Experimental  evidence  as  to  its 
action  is  scanty  and  no  complete  chemical  examination  has 
ever  been  made. 

Reputable  men  have  testified  that  some  of  the  plants  of  the 
cactus  family  contain  very  active  principles,  but  so  far  experi- 
ments seem  to  prove  that  cactus  grandiflorus  has  neither  the 
action  of  digitalis  nor  that  of  strychnin.  The  principal  con- 
tributions, clinical  and  experimental,  for  and  against  the  drug, 
are  set  out  below. 

EXPERIMENTAL  EVIDENCE 

O.  H.  Myers1  worked  with  a  product  which  he  calls  cactina 
and  which  he  regards  as  the  active  principle  of  the  drug.  (As 

1.   New   York   Med.    Jour.,   1891,   liii,  681-683. 


22  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

no  such  substance  as  cactina  is  described  in  any  materia 
medica,  it  is  impossible  to  state  what  Myers  really  used.)  He 
found  that  it  had  a  strychnin-like  action  and  raised  the  blood- 
pressure. 

Hatcher  conies  to  the  conclusion:  "Either  Myers'  work  was 
a  pure  fabrication  or  he  was  dealing  not  with  cactin  but  with 
a  substance  similar  to  the  pellotin  of  Heffter,  the  action  of 
which  resembles  that  of  strychnin  to  a  certain  extent." 

E.  Boinet  and  J.  Boy-Teissier2  experimented  with  an  aqueous 
extract,  an  alcoholic  extract,  and  with  an  alkaloid  which  they 
call  "cactine."  They  concluded  from  three  sets  of  experiments 
on  frogs  that  extract  of  cactus  produces,  in  ten  minutes,  a 
temporary  increase  in  the  heart's  action  which  frequently 
repeated  doses  are  required  to  maintain;  and  that  large  doses 
slow  the  heart  and  produce  arhythmia. 

L.  E.  Sayre8  experimented  with  a  preparation  of  cactus, 
made  from  the  stem  of  the  plant,  by  injecting  it  into  the 
dorsal  lymph  space  of  the  frog.  There  was  seemingly  an 
increase  in  the  amplitude  of  the  heart's  action  and  an  indica- 
tion of  a  strengthened  beat  or  increased  force. 

R.  A.  Hatcher*  states  that  it  is  possible  that  cactus  grandi- 
florus,  under  certain  conditions,  may  contain  a  principle  with 
a  strychnin-like  action.  But  Hatcher  made  ten  experiments  on 
frogs,  four  on  cats,  six  on  dogs,  two  on  rabbits,  and  one  on  a 
guinea-pig,  with  Cactina  pillets  of  the  Sultan  Drug  Company 
and  the  Cactin  of  the  Abbott  Alkaloidal  Company.  From  1  to 
)5  pillets  in  frogs  and  up  to  25  in  dogs  were  used  at  each 
dose.  In  no  single  instance  was  there  any  evidence  of  a  digi- 
talis-like or  strychnin-like  action,  or,  in  fact,  of  any  decided 
action  of  any  kind  whatever. 

Gordon  Sharp5  was  unable  to  obtain  either  alkaloid  or  glu- 
cosid  from  the  plant,  but  found  a  series  of  resins  that  caused 
contraction  of  the  blood-vessels  of  a  frog.  This  was  not  a 
digitalis-like  contraction,  but  depended,  he  believed,  on  simple 
acidity.  On  the  heart  of  the  frog  the  resins  have  little  or 
no  effect,  comparisons  being  made  with  digitalis  in  the  same 
animals.  There  is  no  proof  that  cactus  grandiflorus  itself 
shortens  diastole,  or  in  fact,  that  it  has  any  special  action  on 
the  heart  muscle  at  all.  Sharp  experimented  on  himself  with 
large  doses  of  an  extract  made  with  alcohol  1  to  5,  but  got  no 
noticeable  results.  He  thinks  that  the  plant  may  have  some 
slight  diuretic  action. 

Sayre  submitted  the  preparation  which  he  used  in  his 
experiments  for  more  careful  testing  to  E.  M.  Houghton,  who 
reported  that  it  had  practically  no  action  on  the  heart. 

In  commenting  on  Houghton's  results,  Reid  Hunt  said  that 

2.  Bull.  Gen.  de  Therap.,  1891,  cxxl,  343-349. 

3.  Am.   Pharm.  Assn..  1906.  liv,  405. 

4.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  21,  1907,  pp.  1021-1024. 

5.  Practitioner,  London,  1894    ill,  444-446. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  23 

they  were  confirmed  by  his  own  experiments.  He  did  not 
deny,  however,  that  the  drug  might  have  some  therapeutic 
effect  and  that,  in  very  large  doses,  it  did  affect  the  kidneys. 

S.  A.  Ma  thews*  found  one  preparation  of  cactus  (cactin — 
Abbott)  absolutely  inert  so  far  as  any  effect  on  the  heart  is 
concerned.  He  found  that  cactina  (Sultan  Drug  Co.)  in  very 
large  doses  depressed  both  the  circulation  and  respiration.  In 
this  regard  it  differs  from  strychnin,  and  it  has  no  resemblance 
to  the  action  of  digitalis,  strophanthus  or  any  of  the  heart 
stimulants.  A  dose  of  from  10  to  12  pillets  administered 
intravenously  to  a  10  to  12  kg.  dog  exerted  little  or  no  influ- 
ence on  the  heart  or  circulation;  the  larger  dose  may  cause  a 
slight  fall  in  blood-pressure.  When  70  or  more  pillets  were 
administered  within  two  and  a  half  hours  the  animal  generally 
died. 

The  work  of  Boinet  and  Boy-Teissier  also  has  been  critcized 
by  Hatcher  on  the  ground  that  their  most  positive  results 
were  obtained  with  an  alkaloid  which  no  one  at  this  day  is 
able  to  prepare.  The  results  quoted  in  this  report,  however, 
were  obtained  by  the  use  of  extracts  of  cactus  so  that  it  does 
not  seem  that  they  should  be  entirely  rejected,  whatever  their 
value  may  be. 

CLINICAL   EVIDENCE 

Clinical  observations  have  been  more  abundant  than  exact, 
and  a  favorable  action  of  the  drug  in  some  organic  diseases 
of  the  heart  has  been  reported;  other  observers  would  limit 
its  use  to  functional  arhythmia,  insisting  that  it  is  not  a 
substitute  for  digitalis  or  aconite,  but  that  it  occupies  a  place 
distinct  from  either  of  those  remedies. 

P.  W.  Williams7  recommends  cactus  for  functional  heart 
disease,  but,  as  a  rule,  found  it  useless  in  organic  disease.  He 
thinks  it  one  of  a  class  of  remedies  which  act  on  the  acceler- 
ator nerves  and  sympathetic  ganglia,  shortening  the  diastole 
and  stimulating  the  spinal  vasomotor  nerve  centers.  Williams 
apparently  relied  on  Myers  for  his  knowledge  of  the  pharma- 
cologic  action,  and  his  paper  is  a  fair  example  of  the  clinical 
studies  of  cactus. 

Ellingwood3  claims  that  cactus  is  a  cardiac  tonic,  acting  on 
the  accelerator  nerves  and  heart  ganglia,  increasing  muscular 
force  and  arterial  tension.  He  recommends  it  in  both  organic 
and  functional  diseases. 

Boinet  and  Boy-Teissier  found  that  therapeutic  doses  of  40 
drops  of  tincture  of  cactus  were  without  effect  on  the  normal 
heart.  In  patients  with  noisy  asystole  (asystolic  ~bruyante) 
the  same  dose  produced  no  appreciable  effect.  In  the  period 
of  latent  non-compensation  of  true  cardiac  patients,  from  80 
to  100  drops  a  day  increased  the  force  of  the  failing  heart.  In 


«.  THE  JOURNAL  A.   M.  A..  March  21,  1908,  1,  956-958. 

7.  Practitioner,  London,  1891,  xlvii,  266-273. 

8.  M.'d.   Kec.,   New  York.  1905,  Ixvii,  857. 


24  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

patients  with  secondary  heart  disease  with  arhythmia  of  ner- 
vous origin,  daily  doses  of  80,  100  and  120  drops  of  the  tinc- 
ture were  well  tolerated  for  weeks;  they  seemed  to  increase 
the  fulness  of  the  pulse  and  regulated  its  rhythm.  In  spite 
of  such  large  doses,  these  observers  never  noticed  any  symp- 
toms that  could  be  attributed  to  a  cumulative  action.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  the  precise  preparation  of  cactus  which 
they  used  is  not  known. 

Aulde9  recommends  it  as  a  cardiac  tonic  free  from  cumula- 
tive effects. 

Gordon  Sharp  says:  "The  therapeutics  of  the  subject,  I 
think,  are  clear  enough.  Cactus  grandiflorus  cannot  be 
included  in  our  list  of  cardiac  drugs.  It  is  not  even  a  simple 
stomachic  tonic  and  at  most  all  one  can  say  is  that  it  has 
small  diuretic  action." 

Hatcher  says:  "Clinical  testimony  is  so  conflicting  that 
between  the  extreme  views  of  Gordon  Sharp  and  those  of 
Ellingwood  there  is  room  for  an  honest  difference  of  opinion 
concerning  cactus  grandiflorus." 

Matthews  himself  took  100  granules  of  cactin  (1/67  gr. — 1 
mg.  each),  25  every  four  hours,  without  experiencing  the  least 
effect. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Reliable  conclusions  regarding  the  therapeutic  use  of  cactus 
grandiflorus  are  rendered  difficult  on  account  of  several  factors. 

1.  It  is  uncertain  what  part  of  the  plant  contains  the  active 
principle    if    one    exists;    and    its   nature    is    unknown.      The 
National  Standard  Dispensatory  states  that  its  "activity  must 
be  confined  to  the  flower  in  some  special  stage  of  its  develop- 
ment or   to   a  certain  part  of  it   or  to  some  parts  gathered 
with  it."     This  uncertainty  may  explain  the  negative  results 
obtained  by  some  observers  but  it  makes  the  drug  one  that 
cannot  be  generally  relied  on  and  gives  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity for  the  exploitation  of  proprietary  preparations. 

2.  Some  of  the  experimental  work  and  much  of  the  clinical 
evidence  has  been  obtained  and   published  under  proprietary 
auspices.     For  this   reason  many   of  the   therapeutic   claims 
made  for  the  drug  must  be  viewed  as  merely  the  reflection  of 
the  exaggerated  statements  made  by  the  advertisers  of  pro- 
prietary preparations. 

3.  The  value  of  clinical  evidence  when  unsupported  by  ani- 
mal experimentation  is  much   diminished  by  the  tendency  of 
enthusiastic  and  untrained  observers  to  attribute  to  the  drug 
given    the    effect    really    due    to    general    remedial    measures, 
psychic  suggestion  and  so  forth.     While  it  must  be  admitted 
that  valuable  remedies  may  exist  whose  therapeutic  properties 
cannot   be    revealed    by    animal    experimentation,    yet    in    the 

0.  Practitioner.  Ixradon,  xlvii,  223 ;  Therap.  Gaz.,  1890. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  25 

absence  of  such  experimental  evidence  conclusions  should  be 
drawn  with  extreme  caution. 

Bearing  these  conditions  in  mind,  the  following  statements 
seem  to  be  justified:  (a)  The  botanical,  chemical  and  phar- 
maceutical properties  of  cactus  are  not  sufficiently  determined 
to  make  any  available  preparation  a  reliable  remedy.  (6) 
There  is  some  evidence  that  cactus  may  be  capable  of  affect- 
ing the  animal  heart  and  nervous  system,  but  its  action  is 
not  that  ordinarily  attributed  to  it.  It  does  not  increase  the 
force  of  the  heart-beat,  (c)  While  there  is  some  clinical  testi- 
mony as  to  its  usefulness  in  functional  diseases  of  the  heart, 
the  indications  for  its  administration  are  at  present  too  uncer- 
tain to  afford  a  safe  basis  for  recommending  it. 

4.  While  the  drug  may  be  deserving  of  further  experimental 
and  clinical  investigation,  this  should  be  carried  on  in  reliable 
pliarmacologic  laboratories  and  in  clinics  provided  with  facil- 
ities for  exact  observation. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
March  12,  1910.) 


CAMPHO-PHENIQUE 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  and  Some 

Comments  Thereon 

The  following  report  was  submitted  to  the  Council  on  Phar- 
macy and  Chemistry  by  the  subcommittee  to  which  Campho- 
Phenique  had  been  assigned: 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — Campho- 
Phenique,  sold  by  the  Campho-Phenique  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
is  claimed  to  be  composed  of  phenol  49  per  cent.,  and  camphor 
51  per  cent. 

Examination  of  specimens,  purchased  in  the  open  market, 
made  under  our  direction,  demonstrate  that  the  statements 
made  in  regard  to  the  composition  are  not  true.  Instead  of 
containing  49  per  cent,  of  phenol  (carbolic  acid),  the  analysis 
showed  that  it  contains  not  more  than  20  per  cent.  Instead 
of  containing  51  per  cent,  of  camphor,  the  analysis  demon- 
strates that  the  amount  of  camphor  is  not  more  than  38  per 
cent.  Besides  phenol  and  camphor,  a  third  substance  was 
found  which  proved  to  be  liquid  petrolatum  and  to  be  present 
to  the  extent  of  38  per  cent,  or  more. 

Since  the  statements  made  in  regard  to  the  composition  of 
Campho-Phenique  are  deliberate  misrepresentations  of  the 
facts,  it  is  recommended  that  the  article  be  not  approved. 

Besides  Campho-Phenique,  the  above-mentioned  firm  also 
sells  a  preparation  labeled  Campho-Phenique  Powder.  While 
no  statement  in  regard  to  the  composition  of  this  product  is 
made  on  the  label  or  in  the  literature,  such  expressions  as 
"Campho-Phenique  in  a  powdered  form"  and  "Powdered  Cam- 
pho-Phenique" lead  to  the  inference  that  it  has  essentially  the 
same  composition  as  that  stated  for  the  liquid  preparation. 
An  examination  of  a  specimen  of  Campho-Phenique  Powder 
purchased  in  the  open  market  showed  that  92  per  cent,  of  it 


2G  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

was  a  talcum-like  inorganic  substance.  The  remaining  8  per 
cent,  consisted  chiefly  of  camphor  with  a  small  amount  of 
phenol. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Campho-Phenique  Powder  contains 
very  little  phenol,  but  instead  consists  chiefly  of  an  inorganic 
talcum-like  substance,  its  name  is  misleading  and  deceptive. 
It  having  been  shown  that  Campho-Phenique  Powder  corre- 
sponds to  a  camphorated  talcum  powder,  the  claims  that  it 
"has  no  equal  as  a  dry  dressing,"  that  it  is  "absolutely  supe- 
rior to  iodoform,"  and  that  it  has  "all  the  excellent  properties 
of  aristol  and  iodoform,"  are  unwarranted.  It  is  recommended 
that  the  article  be  not  approved,  and  that  this  report  be  pub- 
lished. 

The  recommendations  of  the  subcommittee  were  adopted  by 
the  Council,  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  above  report  is 
published.  W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Campho-Phenique 

The  above  report  on  a  much  advertised  "ethical"  proprie- 
tary medicine  is  worthy  of  the  thoughtful  consideration  of  the 
members  of  the  medical  profession,  as  it  illustrates  admirably 
some  of  the  conditions  connected  with  this  proprietary  medi- 
cine business. 

THE   FOBML'LA    A   FAKE 

First,  it  illustrates  the  fact  that  the  published  formulas 
of  the  "ethical"  proprietaries  are  not  always  reliable.  The 
Campho-Phenique  Company  has  been  very  willing  to  give  out 
a  formula,  purporting  their  product  to  be  51  per  cent,  cam- 
phor and  49  per  cent,  phenol  (carbolic  acid).  Now,  these  two 
drugs  will  make  a  liquid  mixture,  and  any  druggist  can  make 
it,  and  the  mixture  will  have  about  the  same  consistency  and 
appearance  as  Campho-Phenique.  But  its  effect  differs  decid- 
edly from  that  of  Campho-Phenique.  Some  months  ago  a  very 
intelligent  physician,  in  discussing  the  proprietary  medicine 
business,  said  that  in  some  cases  physicians  could  not  get 
druggists  to  make  preparations  which  were  as  satisfactory  as 
those  which  could  be  bought  ready-made.  He  cited  Campho- 
Phenique  as  an  illustration.  He  said  that  he  had  used  this 
preparation  for  burns,  etc.,  but  as  he  did  not  like  to  use  prepa- 
rations put  up  by  companies  about  which  he  knew  nothing,  he 
asked  his  druggist  to  make  the  mixture  in  accordance  with 
the  published  formula.  The  druggist's  preparation  was  not 
satisfactory;  it  had  a  decidedly  different  effect  from  Campho- 
Phenique,  an!  so  he  tried  another  druggist.  This  druggist 
also  followed  the  published  formula,  but  his  results,  too,  dif- 
fered materially  from  the  proprietary  article. 

The  various  analyses  that  have  been  made  show  why  the 
preparations  put  up  by  the  druggists  did  not  resemble  that 
made  by  the  company;  since,  according  to  the  analyses, 
Campho-Phenique  consists  of  40  per  cent,  liquid  petrolatum, 
which  is  an  inert  -but  soothing  diluent,  while  instead  of  40 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  27 

per  cent,  of  carbolic  acid,  as  claimed,  it  really  contains  less 
than  20  per  cent.  This  is  an  entirely  different  proposition. 
Now,  if  the  physician  referred  to  above  will  have  his  druggist 
make  a  mixture  of  20  per  cent,  of  carbolic  acid,  40  per  cent,  of 
camphor  and  40  per  cent,  of  liquid  petrolatum,  and  will  then 
compare  this  resulting  compound  with  Campho-Phenique,  he 
will  find  that  there  is  not  much  difference.  Furthermore,  he 
will  realize  that  there  is  nothing  either  new  or  wonderful 
about  the  preparation.  Camphorated  oil  and  carbolized  oil  are 
both  in  common  use..  Campho-Phenique  is  apparently  simply 
a  mixture  of  the  two. 

m 

THE  POWDER   STILL  WORSE 

So  much  for  the  liquid.  The  powder  seems  to  be  something 
entirely  different,  for,  according  to  the  chemist's  report,  over 
90  per  cent,  of  it  is  inert,  absorbent,  talcum-like  material. 
There  is  enough  camphor  and  carbolic  acid  to  give  the  powder 
an  odor  and  thus  mislead  physicians,  especially  those  who  are 
in  the  habit  of  taking  for  granted  that  whatever  statements 
nostrum  manufacturers  make  are  true.  Perhaps  it  is  a  fairly 
good  dressing  for  wounds — at  least  it  will  do  no  harm — but 
its  name  is  misleading  and  deceptive.  For  all  practical  pur- 
poses it  is  essentially  a  camphorated  talcum  powder. 

COMPANY  A  "PATENT-MEDICINE"  CONCERN 
The  second  interesting  phase  of  this  "ethical"  proprietary 
is  that  it  illustrates  another  point,  i.  e.,  that  many  of  these 
articles  are  supplied  to  our  profession  by  those  who  are  not 
legitimate  manufacturing  pharmacists.  The  Campho-Phenique 
Company  of  St.  Louis,  according  to  all  reports,  is  owned  and 
controlled  by  a  gentleman  named  Ballard.  This  "company" 
supplies  the  medical  profession  with  the  preparations  under 
consideration  and  also  with  chloro-phenique  and  scrofonol. 
We  are  informed  that  this  same  Mr.  Ballard  is  the  principal 
owner,  if  not  the  sole  owner,  of  quite  a  number  of  "patent- 
medicine"  companies,  such  as  Ballard-Snow  Liniment  Co., 
Brown's  Iron  Bitters  Co.,  Mayfield  Medicine  Mfg.  Co.,  Smith 
Bile  Beans  Co.,  Swain's  Laboratory,  and  several  others.  We 
learn  from  the  wholesale  drug  trade  lists  that  these  various 
•'companies"  make  and  sell,  beside  the  campho-phenique  prep- 
arations, Ballard-Snow  Liniment,  Ballard's  Herbine,  Brown's 
Iron  Bitters,  Dr.  Herrick's  Pills,  Richardson's  Life-Preserving 
Bitters,  Smith's  Bile  Beans,  Swain's  All  Healing  Ointment, 
and  several  other  "patent  medicines." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  make  any  further  comments.  The 
whole  business  is  nauseating  to  those  who  know  the  actual 
conditions  of  this  nostrum  business  and  how  our  profession  is 
being  deluded.  The  Campho-Phenique  matter  is  not  an  excep- 
tion; it  is  simply  another  illustration  of  these  conditions. 

The  majority  of  "ethical"  proprietaries  are  foisted  on  our 
profession,  either  without  any  formula  accompanying  them,  or 


28  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

with  a  "formula"  that  is  a  fake.  The  majority  of  the  "ethical" 
proprietaries  are  manufactured  and  supplied  to  physicians, 
with  instructions  regarding  their  use,  by  men  who  bear  the 
same  relation  to  legitimate  pharmacy  that  the  veriest  quack 
that  ever  swindled  a  credulous  public  bears  to  scientific  med- 
icine.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  20,  1907.) 


CALCIUM  GLYCEROPHOSPHATE 

Its  Poor  Quality  Shown  by  a  Report  of  the  Council  on  Phar- 
macy and  Chemistry    • 

Believing  that  the  glycerophosphates  were  of  some  probable 
value,  the  Council  decided  to  describe  calcium  glycerophosphate 
in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  so  that  definite  standards 
of  quality  might  be  prescribed.  The  Association's  Chemical 
Laboratory  having,  at  the  request  of  the  Council,  taken  up 
the  examination  of  the  supply  of  calcium  glycerophosphate  on 
the  American  market  and  entered  into  correspondence  with  the 
manufacturing  houses,  now  reports  that  no  product  of  even 
fair  quality  is  to  be  had,  and  that  those  who  make  it  appear 
not  inclined  to  make  improvements.  Investigation  having 
shown  that  the  glycerophosphates  are  probably  not  superior  to 
ordinary  inorganic  phosphates,  there  is  little  likelihood  that  a 
consequent  decreasing  demand  will  be  any  inducement  to  pro- 
vide a  good  quality  of  drug  in  the  future.  In  view  of  these 
conditions,  the  Council  decided  not  to  describe  the  drug  in  New 
and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  and  authorized  the  publication  of  the 
report  which  appears  below. 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

SUPPLEMENTAL  REPORT  ON  CALCIUM  GLYCEROPHOSPHATE 
The  glycerophosphates  have  come  into  rather  wide  use  dur- 
ing the  last  twenty  years.  This  use  was  based  on  the  belief 
that  because  of  the  chemical  relation  between  glycerophos- 
phates and  lecithin,  the  former  were  more  readily  assimilable 
than  inorganic  phosphorus  compoimds.  While  the  evidence  for 
the  value  of  glycerophosphates  was  not  altogether  satisfactory, 
it  was  considered  sufficient  to  give  these  products  a  place 
among  the  remedies  of  possible  value  and,  therefore,  the  Coun- 
cil decided  to  describe  calcium  glycerophosphate  in  New  and 
Nonofficial  Remedies.  Since  the  Council  reached  this  decision, 
experiments  by  Fingerling,1  McCollum  and  Halpin,  and  others 
have  shown  that  animals  can  form  organic  phosphorus  com- 
pounds (lecithin,  neucleoproteids,  etc.)  out  of  inorganic  phos- 

1.  Fingerling.  G.  :  Die  Bildung  von  organischen  Phosphorver- 
bindungen  aus  Phosphatcn,  Biochem.  Ztschr.,  1912,  xxxviii,  448. 
xxxix,  239.  McCollum.  E.  V.;  and  Halpin.  J.  G.  :  Synthesis  of 
Lecithins  in  the  Hen,  Proc.  Am.  Soc.  Biol.  Chern.,  1911  ;  Jour.  Biol. 
Chem.,  1912,  xi,  xiii.  Sec  also  editorials  in  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.. 
April  20,  1912,  p.  1198;  May  25,  1912,  p.  1605. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  21) 

phates  quite  as  readily  as  from  organic  phosphorus  compounds. 
Hence,  it  is  probable  that  the  glycerophosphates  are  of  no 
more  value  in  phosphorus  metabolism  than  the  inorganic  phos- 
phorus compounds. 

At  the  request  of  the  Council  the  examination  of  the  avail- 
able supply  of  calcium  glycerophosphate  was  taken  up  in  the 
Association  laboratory.  The  following  report  from  the  labora- 
tory gives  the  result  of  this  examination  and  indicates  the 
efforts  which  the  laboratory  has  made  to  secure  the  adoption 
of  a  suitable  standard  whereby  the  quality  of  the  product  may 
be  judged. 

The  laboratory  undertook  the  study  of  calcium  glycero- 
phosphate with  the  view  of  proposing  standards  for  its  quality. 
Five  specimens  were  purchased  and  examined.  While  a  pure 
specimen  should  have  a  faintly  alkaline  reaction,  should  be 
practically  free  from  chlorids,  sulphates  and  alcohol-soluble 
matter,  should  contain  about  17.5  per  cent,  of  calcium  and 
yield  about  55.7  per  cent,  of  ash,  the  specimens  examined  gave 
the  following  results: 

The  specimen  bearing  the  label  of  the  Mallinckrodt  Chemical 
Works  was  faintly  alkaline  in  reaction,  contained  1.8  per  cent, 
of  chlorid  (calculated  as  sodium  chlorid),  0.66  per  cent,  of 
alcohol-soluble  matter,  lost  4.5  per  cent,  of  its  weight  by  dry- 
ing over  sulphuric  acid,  left  51.9  per  cent,  of  ash  on  ignition 
and  yielded  12.7  per  cent,  of  calcium  by  the  method  used  for 
the  determination.  This  specimen  contained  considerable 
amounts  of  a  sodium  salt,  possibly  sodium  glycerophosphate. 

The  specimen  sold  under  the  Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten 
Co.  label  contained  about  1  per  cent,  of  sodium  chlorid,  1.8 
per  cent,  of  calcium  sulphate,  0.7  per  cent,  of  alcohol-soluble 
matter,  free  acid  equivalent  to  about  3  per  cent,  of  citric  acid, 
lost  3.5  per  cent,  of  its  weight  when  dried  over  sulphuric  acid, 
left  51  per  cent,  of  ash  on  ignition  and  yielded  15.6  per  cent, 
of  calcium. 

The  Schering  and  Glatz  specimen,  sold  under  the  name  of 
•'Lime  Tonol"  with  extravagant  claims  as  to  its  purity,  con- 
tained a  trace  of  chlorid,  about  1  per  cent,  of  calcium  sulphate, 
3.5  per  cent,  of  alcohol-soluble  matter,  free  acid  equivalent  to 
about  4  per  cent,  of  citric  acid,  lost  3.2  per  cent,  of  its  weight 
when  dried  over  sulphuric  acid,  gave  50.7  per  cent,  of  ash  on 
ignition  and  yielded  15.7  per  cent,  of  calcium. 

The  Squibb  specimen  contained  a  trace  of  chlorid,  0.6  per 
cent,  of  calcium  sulphate,  6.3  per  cent,  of  alcohol-soluble  mat- 
ter, free  acid  equivalent  to  about  9  per  cent,  of  citric  acid, 
14.5  per  cent,  of  calcium,  lost  2.9  per  cent,  of  its  weight  when 
dried  over  sulphuric  acid,  and  left  47.7  per  cent,  of  ash  on 
ignition. 

The  Merck  specimen  contained  a  trace  of  chlorid,  about  0.25 
per  cent,  of  calcium  sulphate,  7.5  per  cent,  of  alcohol-soluble 
matter,  free  acid  eqiiivalent  to  9.5  per  cent,  of  citric  acid,  14.2 
per  cent,  of  calcium,  lost  3  per  cent,  of  its  weight  when  dried 


30  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

over   sulphuric   acid,   and   yielded   47.8    per    cent,    of   ash   on 
ignition. 

The  examination  showed  that  none  of  the  specimens  exam- 
ined was  completely  soluble  in  water.  Those  which  were  most 
nearly  soluble  were  such  as  contained  considerable  quantities 
of  an  organic  acid.  Two  of  the  specimens  contained  consider- 
able amounts  of  chlorid  and  four  of  them  contained  consider- 
able quantities  of  sulphate.  One  specimen  contained  both 
chlorid  and  sulphate.  The  alcohol-soluble  material  ranged 
from  0.66  per  cent,  to  nearly  7.5  per  cent.,  the  greater  part  of 
it,  apparently,  being  citric  acid.  In  other  words,  all  of  the 
specimens  were  decidedly  impure  in  one  or  more  particulars. 
On  comparing  the  results  found  in  the  examination  with  the 
standards  prescribed  in  the  foreign  pharmacopeias  and  phar- 
maceutical commentaries — there  is  no  American  standard — 
it  was  found  that  none  of  the  specimens  complied  with  all  of 
the  requirements  in  any  one  of  these  authorities. 

That  some  of  the  manufacturers  were  aware  of  the  poor 
quality  of  their  products  is  shown  by  the  occurrence  on  the 
labels  of  their  specimens  of  such  qualifying  phrases  as  "Cal- 
cium glycerophosphate  soluble"  and  "Glycerophosphate  of 
lime,  about  95  per  cent." 

The  findings  were  submitted,  with  suggestions  for  standards 
and  with  a  request  for  criticisms  to  the  respective  manufact- 
urers, who  were  also  asked  to  propose  standards.  Although  the 
firms  in  a  way  acknowledged  the  general  unsatisfactory  con- 
dition of  their  products,  they  made  no  definite  promises  of 
improvement. 

Thus,  according  to  this  examination  the  market  supply, 
including  the  proprietary  brand  "Lime  Tonol"  for  which  extrav- 
agant claims  of  purity  have  been  made,  are  all  of  inferior 
quality.  The  products  contain  considerable  quantities  of  impu- 
rities such  as  sulphates,  chlorids,  and  foreign  sodium  and  cal- 
cium compounds,  the  presence  of  the  latter  in  most  cases  having 
been  disguised  by  the  addition  of  citric  acid.  The  composition 
is  such  that  none  of  the  products  on  the  American  market 
is  entitled  to  the  name  "calcium  glycerophosphate."  The 
report  also  shows  that  though  the  manufacturers  have  in 
general  acknowledged  the  poor  quality  of  their  product,  they 
have  shown  considerable  indifference  concerning  its  improve- 
ment. Since  they  have  been  unable  or  unwilling  in  the  past 
to  supply  calcium  glycerophosphate  of  fair  quality,  there  is 
little  likelihood  that  a  decreased  demand,  which  may  be 
expected  since  the  demonstration  of  its  small  value,  will  offer 
an  inducement  to  improve  the  quality  in  the  future.  In  view 
of  these  conditions,  it  is  recommended  that  calcium  glycero- 
phosphate be  not  described  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  13,  1912.) 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  31 

CALCIUM  PHENOLSULPHONATE  (SULPHOCARBOLATE) 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

A  subcommittee  of  the  Council  submitted  this  report: 

The  Council  having  voted  to  consider  the  eligibility  of  cal- 
cium phenolsulphonate  (calcium  sulphocarbolate )  for  inclusion 
with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  the  product  as  it  is  found 
on  the  market  was  examined  in  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  with  a  view  of  establishing 
standards  for  this  substance.  The  laboratory  now  submits  its 
findings  in  the  matter  which  show  that,  largely  as  a  result  of 
its  efforts,  a  product  of  satisfactory  quality  is  now  on  the 
market. 

The"  phenolsulphonates  (sulphocarbolates)  are,  probably,  not 
very  valuable  as  therapeutic  agents.  Calcium  phenolsul- 
phonate has  little  to  recommend  it  over  the  official  sodium 
phenolsulphonate,  and  it  may  be  held  as  an  unnecessary  dupli- 
cation of  an  official  substance;  yet  its  provisional  inclusion  in 
New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  is  recommended  since  it  con- 
tains two  radicals  (the  calcium  and  the  phenolsulphonic) 
often  given  in  certain  conditions,  and  it  may  for  that  reason 
be  found  to  have  some  advantage  over  sodium  phenolsulphon- 
ate. Further,  if  the  product  be  described  in  New  and  Non- 
official  Remedies  and  standards  of  purity  for  it  provided,  this 
will  have  the  effect  of  improving  the  quality  of  the  product 
on  the  market. 

It  is  recommended,  therefore,  tnat  calcium  phenolsulphonate 
(calcium  sulphocarbolate),  with  the  description  herewith  sub- 
mitted, be  accepted  as  a  non-proprietary  article,  and  that  the 
products  of  the  Abbott  Alkaloidal  Co.  and  of  the  Mallinckrodt 
Chemical  Works  be  listed. 

In  order  that  physicians  may  appreciate  the  work  of  the 
Association's  chemical  laboratory  and  recognize  the  influence 
which  it  exerts  on  the  improvement  of  the  quality  of  medi- 
cines, it  is  recommended  that  publication  of  this  report  and  of 
the  report  of  the  chemical  laboratory  be  authorized. 

This  report  was  adopted  and  in  accordance  therewith  the 
description  of  calcium  phenolsulphonate  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  issue  and  the  report  of  the  chemical  laboratory 
is  published  below.  W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 


[CONTRIBUTION  FROM  THE  CHEMICAL  LABORATORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION] 

Calcium  Phenolsulphonate 
W.  A.  PDCKNER  A>TD  L.  E.  WARREN 

The  examination  of  calcium  phenolsulphonate  (calcium 
sulphocarbolate)  was  taken  up  at  the  request  of  the  Council. 
Tentative  standards  for  the  substance  were  prepared  and  after 


32  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

the  examination  of  the  specimens  had  been  completed,  these 
standards  were  submitted  for  criticism  to  several  manufac- 
turers of  chemicals.  At  the  same  time  the  findings  (for  each 
manufacturer's  product)  which  were  not  in  accord  with  the 
proposed  standards  were  submitted  to  the  manufacturers 
interested. 

The  product  was  examined  with  reference  to  the  residue 
on  ignition,  loss  on  drying  at  100  C.,  freedom  from  arsenic 
and  heavy  metals,  sulphates  and  uncombined  phenol.  Some 
of  the  specimens  studied  were  purchased  on  the  open  market 
while  others  were  furnished  by  the  manufacturers. 

These  results  of  the  examination  are  tabulated  on  page  33. 

These  results  show  that  commercial  calcium  phenol sulphon- 
ate  varies  somewhat  in  purity  and  uniformity  of  composition. 
The  formula  commonly  assigned  to  the  salt  in  most  text-books 
of  pharmaceutical  chemistry  is  Ca  ( CeH504S )  ,+H2O.  Theo- 
retically such  a  salt  should  contain  4.45  per  cent,  of  water  and 
should  yield  33.68  per  cent,  of  residue  on  ignition.  The  above 
formula  is  given  in  Merck's  Index  (1907),  yet  the  market 
product  bearing  the  label  of  this  firm  was  found  to  contain 
only  0.45  per  cent,  water  and  was  therefore,  not  the  mono- 
hydrated  salt  indicated  by  the  formula. 

The  results  of  our  examination  were  then  transmitted  to  the 
firms  whose  products  had  been  examined. 

The  Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works,  in  replying,  wrote  that 
its  manufacturing  department  was  experimenting  in  an 
attempt  to  produce  a  phenol-free  salt  at  moderate  cost.  Some 
time  later  a  specimen  of  this  firm's  latest  product  was  sent 
ta  the  laboratory  for  examination.  This  specimen  lost  0.44 
per  cent,  of  its  weight  on  drying  and  the  dried  material 
yielded  35.24  per  cent,  of  residue  on  ignition,  results  that  were 
well  within  the  limits  suggested  in  the  standards  proposed. 
The  specimen  did  not  respond  to  the  bromin-water  test  for 
phenols  and  both  in  color  and  odor  was  superior  to  the  nrst 
specimen  of  this  firm's  that  was  examined. 

The  Abbott  Alkaloidal  Co.,  in  submitting  its  brand  of  cal- 
cium phenolsulphonate,  gave  the  same  formula  to  indicate  the 
composition  of  its  product  as  is  found  in  Merck's  Index, 
namely,  Ca(C6H5O4S)2+H2O,  When  the  specimen  was  dried 
at  100  C.,  however,  it  lost  about  15  per  cent,  of  its  weight, 
showing  that  it  had  a  much  larger  water-content  than  was 
claimed  by  the  manufacturer.  This  result  was  verified  also 
by  the  amount  of  residue  found  on  ignition,  which  amounted 
to  30  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  undried  specimen  instead 
of  33.68  per  cent,  as  is  required  by  the  formula  of  the  salt 
containing  1  molecule  of  water.  These  laboratory  findings 
were  sent  to  the  firm.  No  acknowledgment  was  received  for 
nearly  six  months  and  then  the  company  wrote  questioning 
the  chemists'  results  and  asserting  that  its  product  contained 
"about  4.5  per  cent."  (theoretically  4.45  per  cent.)  of  water 


COUNCIL     REPORTS 


93 


instead  of  the  15.1  per  cent,  as  had  been  reported  by  us.  This, 
of  course,  was  a  reiteration  of  the  claim  made  at  the  time  the 
product  was  submitted  to  the  Council.  In  its  letter,  the  com- 
pany stated  that  it  was  sending  another  sample  of  calcium 
phenolsulphonate  for  further  experimentation.  This  specimen 
lost  1.93  per  cent,  of  its  weight  on  drying  and  the  dried 
material  gave  35.15  per  cent,  of  ash  on  ignition;  it  did  not 
respond  to  the  bromin-water  test  for  phenol.  These  later 


Brand    

M.    C.    W.* 

M.  &  Co.f 

A.  A.  Co.J 

P.  W.  R.§ 

Water     (Loss 
at  100  C.).. 

0.42 

0.45 

15.13 

0.41 

Residue  onlg- 
nition.    (Cal- 
culated from 
Dried   Speci- 
men      

35.18 

35.28 

35.24 

35.42 

Color    

Noticeably 
pinkish 

Very     faintly 
pinkish 

Faintly    yel- 
lowish 

Faintly 
pinkish 

Odor    

Somewhat 
phenol-like 

Distinctly 
phenol-like 

Distinctly 
acetone-like 

Odorless 

Phenol    Test. 

Distinct     pre- 
cipitation 

Distinct    pre- 
cipitation 

None 

Distinct     pre- 
cipitation 

*  M.  C.    W.=Mallinckrodt   Chemical   Works. 

t  M.  &   Co.=Merck   &  Company. 

:<:  A.  A.    Co.=Abbott    Alkaloidal    Company. 

§   P.  W.  R.=Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten  Company. 

results  indicated  that,  although  the  firm  was  ignorant  of  tne 
composition  of  its  own  product,  the  second  specimen  complied 
with  the  proposed  standard. 

As  the  table  shows,  the  products  of  Merck  and  Powers- 
Weightman-Rosengarten  were  both  found  to  contain  free  phe- 
nol. These  firms  were  advised  of  the  laboratory's  findings, 
but,  beyond  acknowledging  the  letters  that  were  sent,  they  have 
taken  no  further  action. 


34  1'ROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

The  results  of  the  examination  of  calcium  phenol-sulphonate 
illustrate  what  other  examinations  in  the  Association  labora- 
tory have  so  often  shown,  viz.,  that  commercial  products  which 
are  but  little  used  and  for  which  there  are  no  authoritative 
standards  for  strength  and  purity,  are  also  invariably  unreli- 
able in  composition. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  21, 
1911.) 


CINERARIA   MARITIMA 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

Occasional  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  therapeutic  value  of 
Cineraria  maritima  caused  the  Council  to  consider  the  drug 
with  reference  to  its  fitness  for  inclusion  in  N.  N.  R.  among 
non-official,  non-proprietary  remedies.  The  following  report, 
having  been  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  subcommittee,  was 
adopted  and  its  publication  authorized. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

To  the  Council: — The  juice  of  a  plant  referred  to  as  Cine- 
raria maritima  was  at  one  time  supposed  to  be  of  value  in  the 
treatment  of  cataract  and  certain  other  affections  of  the  eye. 
No  scientific  evidence  is  available  to  show  that  the  drug  is 
therapeutically  active,  and  its  value  is  no  doubt  correctly 
estimated  by  Dr.  Casey  Wood,  who  ("Ophthalmic  Therapeu- 
tics," p.  446;  Cleveland  Press,  Chicago,  1909)  says: 

"Still,  a  few  respectable  names  have  been  associated  with  its 
[Cineraria  maritima}  employment  in  that  capacity  and  it  only 
remains  to  be  said  that  the  instillation  into  the  conjunctival  sac  of 
a  preparation  of  this  or  any  other  member  of  the  Senecio  family 
has  about  as  much  effect  on  the  resolution  or  dispersal  of  opacities 
due  to  organic  changes  in  the  lens  as  pouring  the  same  down  the 
back  of  the  patient's  neck !" 

The  plant  from  which  Cineraria  maritima  juice  is  claimed  to 
be  prepared  is  commonly  referred  to  in  literature  as  Cineraria 
maritima,  but  is  more  correctly  described  as  Senecio  cineraria, 
D.  C. 

It  may  be  considered  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  a 
remedy  like  this  be  advertised  for  the  treatment  of  such  dis- 
ease as  cataract,  providing  its  application  could  do  no  harm, 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  recommended  also  for 
other  diseases  of  the  eye  in  which  its  use,  by  postponing  effi- 
cient treatment,  would  be  the  means  of  serious  damage  or  even 
loss  of  vision. 

Since  there  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  this  drug  is  of  any 
therapeutic  value,  it  is  recommended  that  it  be  not  admitted 
to  the  list  of  non-official,  non-proprietary  remedies  in  N.  N.  R., 
and  that  the  Council  formally  expresses  its  opinion  that  the 
drug,  as  judged  by  the  evidence  which  is  available,  is  without 
value  in  the  treatment  of  cataract  or  similar  diseases  of  the 
eye. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  35 

EDITORIAL  COMMENT  :  Cineraria  maritima  would  long  since 
have  been  relegated  to  the  limbo  of  discarded  and  discredited 
drugs  had  it  not  been  given  a  semiproprietary  character  by  a 
St.  Louis  nostrum  house — the  Walker  Pharmacal  Company — 
which,  like  the  Manola  Chemical  Company,  is,  we  understand, 
practically  a  subsidiary  concern  of  the  Luyties  Homeopathic 
Pharnfacy  Company.  The  Walker  concern  exploits  this  drug 
under  the  name  Succus  Cineraria  Maritima  (Walker).  Its 
method  of  exploitation  consists  in  publishing  testimonials, 
which  it  dignifies  with  the  name  "clinical  reports,"  from  men 
whom  it  designates  as  "representative  physicians."  As  indi- 
cative of  what  constitutes  representative  physicians,  we  find 
that  of  the  seven  testimonials  given  in  their  pamphlet  the 
names  of  three  of  the  signers  are  not  to  be  found  in  any 
medical  directory. 

The  exploitation  of  Succus  Cineraria  Maritima  (Walker) 
is  the  oft-repeated  story  of  the  resurrection  of  discarded  and 
worthless  drugs  for  the  purpose  of  creating  proprietorship  in 
a  nostrum.  Cineraria  maritima  is  worthless;  its  therapeutic 
value  is  nil.  'By  the  prodigal  use  of  printers'  ink,  the  medical 
profession — and  through  it  the  public — has  been  humbugged 
into  believing  that  it  possesses  curative  value. — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  11,  1911.) 


DIASTASE  FERMENTS 

Report  of  an  Examination  of  the  Diastase  Ferments  by  the 
Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

A  subcommittee  makes  the  following  report  to  the  Council 
with  the  recommendation  that  it  be  published: 

Among  medicinal  agents  which  may  be  classed  as  legitimate 
pharmaceutical  preparations  few  are  more  widely  advertised 
than  are  the  starch-digesting  ferments,  the  diastases.  Along 
with  a  number  of  very  good  preparations  there  are  several 
for  which  grossly  exaggerated  claims  are  made,  and  which  are 
advertised  to  the  medical  profession  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
lead  to  distrust.  Those  which  have  merit  have  not  always 
been  marketed  by  methods  which  are  wholly  free  from  criti- 
cism. In  several  cases  the  claims  made  are  more  than  can  be 
substantiated  by  actual  tests. 

There  has  always  been  some  obscurity  in  the  method  of 
reporting  the  digesting  value  of  these  diastases,  and  just  what 
is  meant  by  starch  conversion  or  sugar  formation  is  not  always 
clear.  In  other  words,  the  claims  of  the  manufacturers  are 
frequently  stated  in  terms  which  are  too  general. 

To  be  of  value  statements  regarding  the  digesting  power  of 
the  diastases  should  be  based  on  standard  and  uniform  meth- 
ods of  testing.  But  manufacturers  have  followed  different 
methods  of  examination,  which  naturally  makes  a  fair  com- 
parison of  products  difficult,  and  in  some  cases  impossible,  for 
any  one  not  conversant  with  the  methods  of  analysis.  Recog- 
nizing the  importance  of  uniformity  in  such  work  the  subcom- 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


mittee  has  had  a  large  number  of  comparative  tests  carried 
out  on  the  more  important  products  of  this  class,  employ- 
ing several  methods  of  analysis.  In  practice  the  diastatic 
action  may  be  measured  in  terms  of  malt  sugar  formed  from 
an  excess  of  starch  in  a  given  time,  or  by  the  conversion  of 
the  starch  to  a  point  where  the  test  with  iodin  shows  the 
disappearance  of  the  blue  color,  or  the  disappearance  of  all 
color.  Results  by  these  three  methods  are  not  directly  com- 
parable, although  there  must  be  some  relation  between  them. 
Our  first  experiments  were  directed  toward  the  clearing  up  of 
this  point.  These  experiments  were  carried  out  largely  by  Mr. 
W.  A.  Johnson  and  the  most  important  of  them  are  given  in 
detail  in  a  paper  which  appears  in  the  May  number  of  the 
Journal  of  the  American  Chemical  Society.  From  his  numer- 
ous tests  Mr.  Johnson  concluded  that  the  best  practical  com- 
parison may  be  made  by  carrying  each  digestion  to  the  color- 
less end  point,  and  in  his  paper  certain  suggestions  are  made 
as  to  the  best  methods  of  conducting  the  tests.  These  will  be 
referred  to  below. 

The  following  table  contains  the  results  obtained  with  a  num- 
ber of  commercial  products,  when  examined  in  this  way,  the 
digestions  being  continued  through  a  period  of  ten  minutes, 
at  a  thermostat  temperature  of  40  C.  in  all  cases.  All  the 
products  here  examined  came  from  the  manufacturers,  and  the 
results  were  confirmed  by  tests  on  similar  products  bought  in 
wholesale  drug  houses.  The  results  are  expressed  in  four 
ways  for  comparison  as  follows: 

to  colorless  endpoint  in  ten 
to  colorless  endpoint  In  ten 
to  colorless  endpoint  in  ten 
to  loss  of  blue  iodin  reaction 


A. — Parts  of  100    %   starch  digested 

minutes. 
B.— Parts  of  92  %  starch  digested 

minutes. 
C. — Parts  of  85  %  starch  digested 

minutes. 
D. — Parts  of  85  %  starch  digested 

in  ten  minutes. 


A. 

B. 

C. 

D. 

Holadin    

102.1 

111.0 

120.0 

171.0 

Taka   Diastase  

16.0 

17.4 

18.82 

26.0 

Taka  Diastase  Liquid. 

0.38 

0.41 

0.45 

0.61 

Panase   

113.0 

123.0 

133.0 

203.0 

Panase   Essence  

3.6 

3.91 

4.23 

6.1 

Vera  Diastase  Essence 

4.2 

4.55 

5.0 

6.7 

Diazyme    Essence  .... 

6.12 

6.66 

7.14 

10.3 

Diazyme    Glycerole  .  .  . 

6.12 

6.66 

7.14 

10.3 

Maltine,   Plain  

2.30 

2.50 

2.71 

Maltzyme  

2.87 

3.12 

3.37 

Trommer's   Extract  of 

Malt    plain  . 

0.65 

0.71 

0.77 

Trommer's  Extract  with 

Cod  .Liver   Oil  

0.38 

0.41 

0.44 

The  blank  spaces  in  the  fourth  column  of  figures  indicate 
that  no  tests  were  satisfactorily  completed  here  to  show  the 
conversion  to  loss  of  blue  color.  In  fact,  with  highly  colored 
mixtures  this  test  is  not  as  easily  made  as  the  other. 

A  comparison  of  the  results  given  in  the  table  with  the 
statements  which  appear  in  the  manufacturers'  circulars,  etc., 
show  that  the  digestive  values  are  all  lower  than  claimed,  if 
we  base  our  comparison  on  the  colorless  endpoint  reaction  and 
anhydrous  starch  conversion.  If,  however,  we  carry  the  diges- 
tion merely  to  the  loss  of  blue  color,  which  seems  to  be  the 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  37 

case  in  some  of  the  tests  frequently  cited,  and  employ  starch 
with  an  average  water  content  of  about  15  per  cent.,  a  very 
different  status  must  be  reported.  In  this  manner  of  report- 
ing results  five  of  the  preparations  show  even  more  than  the 
claimed  values,  but  the  method  should  not  be  tolerated  for 
obvious  reasons.  The  results  actually  found  should  always  be 
calcula4ed  to  anhydrous  starch  for  reporting. 

The  discrepancies  between  the  values  claimed  for  Holadin, 
Diazyme  Essence  and  Diazyme  Glycerole  and  those  actually 
found  in  our  tests  are  not  very  great. 

While  one  part  of  Holadin  by  the  firm's  method  is  stated  to 
digest  135  parts  of  starch  to  the  practically  colorless'  end- 
point,  column  C  shows  that  by  the  method  employed  in  these 
experiments  only  120  parts  of  85  per  cent,  starch  were  digested 
to  the  colorless  endpoint.  Similarly,  while  for  Diazyme  Es- 
sence and  Diazyme  Glycerole  it  is  stated  that  1  c.c.  will  digest 
8  gm.  "dry"  starch  to  the  colorless  endpoint,  the  results  given 
in  the  table  above  show  that  one  part  digested  6.12  parts  of 
100  per  cent,  starch  to  the  colorless  endpoint.  This  is  equiva- 
lent to  7.14  parts  85  per  cent,  starch,  the  kind  referred  to  by 
the  manufacturer. 

The  claims  made  for  Panase  are  somewhat  misleading 
and  conflicting.  In  a  recent  circular  issued  by  the  manu- 
facturers a  statement  is  made  to  the  effect  that  one 
part  of  Panase  "is  capable  of  digesting  at  least  200  times 
its  weight  of  starch  in  10  minutes,"  while  in  another  part  of 
the  same  circular  the  complete  conversion  of  200  parts  of 
starch  into  sugars  is  claimed  as  the  work  of  1  part  of  Panase. 
This  claim  is  certainly  wrong,  as  there  is  a  wide  difference 
between  the  two  kinds  of  reactions.  The  figures  in  the  table 
are  sufficiently  clear  on  this  point,  and  suggest  a  proper  modi- 
fication of -the  claim  to  agree  with  the  facts. 

The  widest  discrepancy  between  the  values  as  claimed  by 
the  manufacturer  and  those  found  by  actual  tests  seems  to  be 
shown  in  the  case  of  Taka  Diastase.  The  liquid  preparation 
has  been  tested  a  number  of  times  in  different  samples  and 
has  always  been  found  weak.  Some  sampies,  in  fact,  were 
quite  inert.  This  ferment  appears  to  lose  strength  very  rap- 
idly in  solution,  as  the  manufacturers  now  concede.  The  stabil- 
ity of  the  solid  product  is  also  far  from  satisfactory,  and  ap- 
pears to  be  less  than  that  of  the  ferment  as  marketed  some 
years  ago.  The  two  samples  examined  recently  were  weak. 

From  a  number  of  experiments  made  it  appears  that  the 
stability  of  the  diastase  preparations  from  the  pancreas  is 
greater.  In  two  tests  of  the  Holadin,  made  some  months 
apart,  no  appreciable  change  was  noticed.  The  same  thing  is 
true  of  Panase  and  the  earlier  product  of  the -same  firm, 
Vera  Diastase.  But  in  the  liquid  form  these  preparations,  like 
the  Taka  Diastase,  seem  to  undergo  some  alteration  in  con- 
verting power,  as  the  figures  above,  and  others,  suggest.  Of 
the  samples  reported  here  the  Vera  Diastase  essence  was  ob- 
tained fresh  and  examined  at  once,  while  the  Panase  Essence 
was  on  hand  some  time  before  the  tests  were  made.  Accord- 
ing to  the  statement  on  the  label  the  latter  should  be  the 
stronger,  but  the  reverse  is  the  case.  The  Panase  Essence 
seems  to  convert  less  than  is  claimed  for  it,  while  the  Vera 
Diastase  Essence  converts  more,  if  we  consider  85  per  cent. 


38  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

starch  and  digestion  to  loss  of  blue  color  merely,  as  satisfac- 
tory conditions  of  the  test.  It  is  possible  that  the  somewhat 
greater  age  of  the  Panase  Essence  may  have  some  bearing  on 
the  result. 

The  two  Diazyme  preparations  appear  to  be  stable,  as  far 
as  practical  requirements  are  concerned.  We  have  examined 
the  contents  of  the  same  bottles  of  these  products  at  periods 
three  months  apart,  and  found  no  changes  in  the  starch-con- 
verting power.  The  claims  for  the  numerical  value  of  the 
diastatic  activity  and  also  for  the  stability  which  are  made  for 
these  ^iquid  preparations  seem  to  be  borne  out  by  the  facts  as 
observed. 

For  the  other  liquid  preparations,  Maltine,  Trommer's 
Extract,  Plain,  and  Trommer's  Extract  with  Cod  Liver  Oil, 
there  are  no  exact  claims  as  to  the  digestive  power.  For 
Maltzyme,  it  is  claimed  that  1  gm.  has  the  power  to  produce 
from  starch,  in  30  minutes,  at  37.8  degrees  C.,  6  gm.  maltose. 
They  contain  large  quantities  of  the  products  of  enzyme  diges- 
tion, and  have  relatively  low  residual  digestive  value.  They 
should  be  classed  among  the  so-called  medicinal  foods,  rather 
than  as  agents  of  digestion. 

In  the  experiments  carried  out  by  Mr.  Johnson,  referred  to 
above,  sugar  determinations  were  made  also,  and  these  showed 
a  close  agreement  with  the  starch  conversion,  carried  to  the 
colorless  end-point.  In  making  the  tests  for  the  sugar  forma- 
tion advantage  was  taken  of  the  results  of  the  other  tests,  and 
enough  ferment  was  weighed  out  in  each  case  to  effect  the 
hydrolysis  of  one  gram  of  anhydrous  starch  to  the  colorless 
end-point  in  ten  minutes.  A  series  of  tests  was  made  on  each 
substance  with  the  same  weight  of  ferment  and  starch  paste, 
and  at  the  end  of  10,  30,  60,  120  and  180  minutes  a  flask 
containing  the  mixture  was  removed  from  the  thermostat,  and 
the  amount  of  sugar  formed,  calculated  as  maltose,  was  deter- 
mined. On  removing  each  flask  from  the  thermostat  further 
action  was  always  checked  by  immediate  boiling.  The  amount 
of  sugar  formed  at  the  end  of  ten  minutes  was  essentially 
the  same  in  all  the  samples  tested,  which  included  the  first 
eight  of  the  table  above.  For  the  gram  of  anhydrous  starch, 
made  up  to  a  2  per  cent,  paste,  the  maltose  formed  varied 
between  611  and  635  milligrams,  which  agrees  very  well  with 
the  usual  findings  for  diastase  digestion,  under  like  conditions. 
There  are  many  such  results  in  the  scientific  literature. 

In- the  longer  periods,  however,  the  amount  of  sugar  formed 
by  the  Taka  Diastase  increased  somewhat  more  rapidly  than 
was  the  case  with  the  other  ferments,  and  the  results  of  the 
determination  after  180  minutes  pointed  to  the  evident  con- 
version of  some  of  the  maltose  into  glucose.  The  mean  value 
of  the  maltose  formed  by  the  other  ferments  in  this  time  was 
about  860  milligrams,  with  variations  from  855  to  872  milli- 
grams, while  for  the  Taka  Diastase  it  was  over  one  gram. 
But  to  secure  these  close  results  it  must  be  remembered  that 
very  different  amounts  of  the  several  ferments  had  to  be 
taken  at  the  start;  that  is,  for  the  weaker  digestants  more, 
and  for  the  stronger  less  was  weighed  out.  The  amounts 
taken  varied  inversely  as  their  starch  digesting  activity,  as 
shown  by  the  first  line  of  tests. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  39 

These  relations  may  be  illustrated  by  the  figures  in  the  fol- 
lowing table,  in  which  the  first  column  gives  the  name  of  the 
substance,  the  second  the  number  of  milligrams  actually  re- 
quired to  convert  1  gram  of  starch  to  the  colorless  end-point 
in  10  minutes,  and  the  third  the  weight  of  maltose  formed  in 
this  time.  The  ferment  substances  were  suspended  in  water 
and  the  proper  volume  was  measured  out  to  give  the  calculated 
weight.  The  sugar  was  found  by  titration  with  standard  Feh- 
ling  solution,  and  is  calculated  as  pure  maltose,  proper  allow- 
ance being  made  for  the  dilution  of  the  titrated  solution.  The 
sugar  amounts  found  under  these  conditions  are  essentially  the 
same,  but  in  producing  the  sugar  8.85  milligrams  of  Panase 
go  as  far  as  9.79  milligrams  of  Holadin,  62.5  milligrams  of 
Taka  Diastase,  163.4  milligrams  of  the  Diazyme  liquids  or 
238.1  milligrams  of  the  Vera  Diastase  Essence.  In  making 
comparisons  by  the  table  the  fact  must  not  be  overlooked  that 
the  three  preparations  there  last  named  are  in  solution,  while 
the  others  are  solids. 

TABLE  OF  SUGAR  FORMATION  IN  10  MINUTES 

Column   A    gives    the   weight    of   ferment   required   in   each   case. 
Column  B  gives   the  iceight  of  sugar  formed  in  each  case 

A.  B. 

Panase 8.85  622  mg. 

Holadin    9.79  634  mg. 

Taka   Diastase 62.5  611  mg. 

Diazyme  Essence 163.4  633  mg. 

Diazyme    Glycerole 163.4  635  mg. 

Vera    Diastase    Essence 238.1  630  mg. 

These  results,  which  have  been  obtained  many  times  in  re- 
peating the  tests,  show  that  the  starch  conversion  to  the  color- 
less end-point,  which  is  more  easily  and  quickly  carried  out 
than  is  the  sugar  determination,  gives  a  practically  useful 
measure  of  the  ferment  activity,  and  a  measure  which  bears 
a  close  relation  to  that  of  maltose  formation.  We,  therefore, 
recommend  the  process  for  all  the  routine  examinations  of 
this  nature  which  have  to  be  made  in  the  testing  of  the  dias- 
tase ferments.  As  is  explained  in  the  article  by  Mr.  Johnson, 
the  process  here  employed  was  first  suggested  by  Roberts  for 
the  examination  of  ferments  of  animal  origin,  and  was  later 
modified  by  Junck  and  by  Francis,  and  applied  to  the  fer- 
ments of  vegetable  origin.  In  our  laboratory  it  has  been  sub- 
mitted to  critical  revision  with  the  object  of  securing  greater 
accuracy  through  a  fuller  specification  of  details  of  manipula- 
tion. The  most  important  points  of  the  process  are  these, 
which  are  presented  as  easily  and  practically  workable: 

1.  A   clean   grade  of   potato   starch   is    thoroughly   washed, 
first  by  decantation  and  then  on  a  Buchner  funnel.    It  is  care- 
fully  dried    at   a   low   temperature,  and   finally   at  a   higher 
temperature  to  a  moisture  content  of  about  10  per  cent.,  the 
exact  moisture  content  to  be  determined  in  a  separate  experi- 
ment. 

2.  For  the  actual    tests   about   22   grams  of  the  starch  is 
mixed  with  100  c.c.  of  solid  distilled  water  to  make  a  uniform 
cream  and  then  poured  into  800  c.c.  of  boiling  distilled  water. 
The  boiling  is  continued  through  ten  minutes,  and  then  enough 
water  is  added  to  make  the  actual  starch  content  (anhydrous) 


40  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

exactly  2  per  cent,  by  weight.  For  each  test  quantities  of 
exactly  50  grams  of  the  paste  are  weighed  into  a  series  of 
250  c.c.  flasks,  which  are  clamped  in  a  large  water-bath  kept 
at  a  temperature  of  40  degrees. 

3.  The  iodin  test  solution  is  made  by  dissolving  2  grams  of 
iodin  and  4  grams  of  potassium  iodid  in  250  c.c.  of  distilled 
water;  2  c.c.  of  this  solution  is  then  diluted  with  pure  water 
to  make  1,000  c.c. 

4.  In  making  up   the  diastase  solution  the   operator  must 
be  guided  by  the  results  of  a  few  preliminary  experiments  in 
each    case.     For    liquid    malt    extracts,    for    example,    10    c.c. 
diluted  to  100  c.c.  will  generally  be  a  proper  strength,  while 
in  the  examination  of  the  dry  preparations  on  the  market  200 
to  500  milligrams,  dissolved  or  suspended  in  100  c.c.  of  dis- 
tilled water  will  usually  answer. 

5.  These  solutions  are   used   in   this   way:      Small  definite 
volumes  of  the  dilutions  are  added  to  the  flasks  containing 
the  starch  paste  in  the  thermostat,  and  with  the  least  possible 
loss  of  time.     The  mixtures  are  well   shaken.     The   volumes 
added  may  be  as  follows,  but  all  diluted  to  that  of  the  largest 
volume  before  mixing:   1  c.c.,  2  c.c.,  3  c.c.,  4  c.c.,  5  c.c.,  6  c.c., 
In  about  eight  minutes  tests  are  begun  by  removing  volumes 
of  5  drops  from  each  digesting  mixture  by  a  pipette  and  add- 
ing this  to  5  c.c.  of  the  dilute  iodin  solution  in  a  clear  white 
test-tube  standing  over  white  paper.    It  is  best  to  have  a  row 
of  these  tubes  mounted  to  receive  the  liquids  to  be  tested.    If 

,  at  the  end  of  ten  minutes  drops  from  one  of  the  flasks  fail 
to  give  the  iodin  reaction  we  are  ready  for  a  second  and 
more  accurate  test.  Weigh  out  now  100  grams  of  the  paste 
into  each  of  six  flasks,  and,  assuming  that  the  end-point  in  the 
first  test  was  found  between  4  and  5  c.c.,  add  accurately  to  the 
six  flasks  these  volumes  of  the  diastase  solution:  8  c.c.,  8.4 
c.c.,  8.8  c.c.,  9.2  c.c.,  9.6  c.c.  and  10  c.c.  These  volumes 
should  all  stand  ready  and  all  diluted  to  10  c.c.,  so  that  they 
may  be  poured  into  the  starch  and  shaken  up  without  delay. 
They  should  also  have  the  normal  thermostat  temperature  of 
40°,  which  precaution  should  be  observed  with  the  mixtures 
added  in  the  first  test.  The  tests  with  the  iodin  solution  are 
repeated  as  in  the  first  trial,  and  new  limits  are  found  be- 
tween which  the  exact  value  must  lie.  For  example,  at  the 
expiration  of  ten  minutes  the  paste  to  which  8.8  c.c.  of  the 
diastase  solution  is  added  may  show  a  faint  yellowish  dextrin 
color,  while  that  with  9.2  is  colorless.  We  may  go  further  and 
try  a  series  of  new  dilutions,  but  practically  it  is  not  neces- 
sary. In  fact,  we  cannot  carry  our  readings  to  a  much  finer 
degree  of  accuracy,  bcause  of  the  difficulty  of  distinguishing 
between  the  effects  of  dilutions  so  near  together,  in  many 
cases.  In  a  case  like  the  above  illustration  it  is  sufficient  to 
take  the  mean  of  the  last  named  dilutions,  and  calculate  the 
results  to  the  basis  of  one  part  of  ferment  and  the  starch 
converted  by  it. 

6.  We  have  recommended  potato  starch  because  it  is  pos- 
sible to  obtain  it  in  a  satisfactory  condition  of  purity.     The 
commercial  corn  starch,  even  after  washing,  does  not  appear 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  41 

to  be  suitable  for  the  purpose.     Qn  microscopic  examination 
the  potato  starch  granules  must  appear  clean  and  sharp. 

The  working  method  is  seen  to  be  simple,  and  if  all  the 
commercial  diastase  ferments  are  tested  in  this  way  their 
practical  value  may  be  easily  compared.  Until  something 
better  is  proposed  we  believe  the  scheme  as  outlined  may  be 
safely  followed,  and  that  it  will  be  perfectly  fair  to  all  con- 
cerned. 

The  above  report  was  adopted  by  the  Council,  with  the  rec- 
ommendation that  before  publication  it  should  be  submitted  to 
the  manufacturers  whose  products  had  been  examined.  The 
replies  were  reported  to  the  Council  by  the  subcommittee,  and 
the  following  supplemental  report  was  submitted  to  the  Coun- 
cil and  adopted: 

This  report  has  been  submitted  to  the  manufacturers  of  all 
of  the  articles  described  and  opportunity  given  them  to  make 
any  comment  or  criticism  they  saw  fit  to  make.  As  might  be 
expected,  each  firm  was  desirous  of  changing  in  some  respect 
the  wording  of  the  report  so  far  as  it  refers  to  the  firm's 
products,  but  a  careful  consideration  of  these  replies  does  not 
warrant  the  subcommittee  in  admitting  the  justness  of  any 
of  the  claims  made. 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  state  that  in  testing  their  product,  Taka 
Diastase,  the  reaction  should  be  carried  to  the  loss  of  blue 
color  only,  and  claim  that  to  digest  to  the  loss  of  all  color 
would  work  to  their  ferment  "a  very  grave  injustice."  They 
say  that  "Taka  Diastase  is  recommended,  not  for  the  rapidity 
with  which  it  converts  starch  into  maltose  and  dextrose,  but 
rather  for  its  usefulness  in  carrying  cooked  starch  through 
the  preliminary  stages  of  digestion  or  hydrolysis  with  remark- 
able rapidity."  The  subcommittee  fails  to  see  the  force  of 
this  argument,  since  what  is  desired  in  a  diastase  is  con- 
version of  starch  into  sugar.  Besides  this,  Taka  Diastase  does 
not  appear  to  be  any  more  rapid  in  the  preliminary  stages 
than  are  some  of  the  others,  and  in  the  advertising  literature 
it  is  praised  for  its  power  of  sugar  formation,  as  are  all  the 
others. 

In  the  comments  offered  by  Frederick  Stearns  &  Co.  objec- 
tion is  made  to  the  passage  in  the  report  in  which  we  point 
out  the  discrepancy  between  the  digestion  of  200  parts  by 
weight  of  starch  in  ten  minutes  and  the  conversion  of  200 
parts  of  starch  into  sugars.  The  firm  promises  to  correct  this 
discrepancy,  which  should  have  been  done  long  ago. 

Fairchild  Bros.  &  Foster  object  most  strenuously  to  the  posi- 
tion given  Holadin  in  the  table,  and  insist  that  by  their 
method  of  testing,  the  product  has  a  higher  value  than 'we 
give  it.  This,  no  doubt,  is  true,  but  the  subcommittee  is 
not  concerned  with  the  firm's  method  of  testing,  and  must  be 


42  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

allowed  to  employ  its  own,  for  the  reasons  pointed  out  in  the 
report.  The  object  is  in  part  comparison,  and  for  this  uni- 
formity of  methods  is  necessary.  In  this  connection  it  should 
be  noted  that  in  the  past  the  firm  has  strongly  favored  the 
adoption  of  a  uniform  method  of  testing  diastase  products. 

The  manufacturers  of  Maltzyme  write  in  a  somewhat  indefi- 
nite way  of  their  disappointment  in  the  findings  of  the  report, 
but  the  letter  calls  for  no  special  comment. 

VV.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  11,  1908.) 


.  TAKA-DIASTASE  AND   LIQUID  TAKA-DIASTASE 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
Some  time  ago  it  was  decided  that  a  reexamination  should 
be  made  of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka-Diastase,  both  of 
which  had  previously  been  rejected^  to  ascertain  whether  or 
not  the  preparations  were  in  accord  with  the  claims  made  for 
them  by  the  manufacturers.  Accordingly,  the  matter  was 
referred  to  a  committee  of  the  Council,  and  an  examination  of 
specimens  of  these  two  preparations  bought  in  the  market 
was  made.  The  referee's  report,  which  appears  below,  accord- 
ing to  the  usual  procedure,  and  before  final  confirmation  by 
the  Council,  was  first  submitted  to  the  manufacturers  of  Taka- 
Diastase  for  comment.  The  report  recommends  that  the  rejec- 
tion of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka-Diastase  be  allowed 
to  stand,  and  that  the  report  be  published.  Parke,  Davis  & 
Co.,  in  their  reply,  which  is  given  in  full  below,  claim  that 
the  report  is  unjust  concerning  Liquid  Taka-Diastase,  because 
the  period  of  activity  of  the  preparation  has  been  greatly 
prolonged  by  reducing  the  amount  of  alcohol  from  18  per 
cent,  to  10  per  cent,  and  by  adding  glycerin.  They  reiterate 
their  claims  for  the  digestive  power  of  Taka-Diastase,  but 
admit  that  it  will  not  reduce  the  stated  amount  of  starch  to 
the  colorless  end-point  in  ten  minutes  (the  standard  method 
for  the  valuation  of  diastase).  They  further  state  that  they 
would  change  the  word  "digest"  on  the  label  to  "liquefy." 

The  conclusion  of  the  report  having  been  questioned,  the 
entire  matter  was  referred  to  a  member  of  the  Council's  staff 
of  clinical  consultants.  His  report,  which,  also,  is  given  in  full 
below,  states  that  the  material  before  him  was  sufficient  to 
decide  the  matter,  and  no  further  tests  were  necessary.  He 
concludes  that  the  claims  of  the  manufacturers  regarding  the 
strength  and  properties  of  the  material  are  erroneous  and 
exaggerated;  that  the  literature  still  sent  out  by  Parke,  Davis 
&  Co.  is  misleading;  and  that  if  substitution  of  the  word 
"liquefy"  for  "digest"  were  endorsed  by  the  Council  confusion 
would  result  which  would  give  an  exaggerated  and  false 
value  to  Taka-Diastase.  He  therefore  recommends  that  the 
report  of  the  reinvestigation  of  Taka-Diastase  be  accepted  by 
the  Council  and  published. 

This  report  of  the  second  referee  was  referred  to  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.  with  the  request  that  they  state  more  definitely 


COUNCIL     UEl'OltTS  43 

the  actual  amylolytic  strength  of  their  preparations.  To  this 
they  replied  that  they  had  no  desire  to  discuss  the  subject 
further,  or  to  make  any  additional  statements. 

hi  accordance  with  the  second  referee's  recommendations, 
the  Council  confirmed  its  provisional  action  and  voted  that  the 
rejection  of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka-Diastase  be 
allowed  to  stand,  and  that  the  report  which  appears  below  be 
authorized  for  publication. 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

REFEREE'S  REPORT  ON  TAKA-DIASTASE  AND  LIQUID  TAKA- 
DIASTASE 

Following  is  the  report  of  the  committee  to  which  was 
referred  the  reexamination  of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka- 
Diastase: 

Some  time  ago  a  comparison  was  made  of  the  various 
methods  proposed  for  the  valuation  of  preparations  claimed  to 
have  amylolytic  power.  This  work  was  reported  in  THE  JOUR- 
NAL,* and  the  method  proposed  for  the  testing  of  diastase  prepar- 
ations now  appears  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies.2  In 
view  of  the  incorrect  and  exaggerated  claims  made  for  Taka- 
Diastase,  the  Council  in  1908  was  obliged  to  rescind  its  accept- 
ance and  to  direct  its  omission  from  New  and  Nonofficial  Reme- 
dies. The  report  contained  the  following  reference  to  Taka- 
Diastase  (Parke,  Davis  and  Company),  a  product  that  had 
been  accepted  for  inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial 
Remedies : 

"The  widest  discrepancy  between  the  values  as  claimed  by 
the  manufacturer  and  those  found  by  actual  tests  seems  to 
be  shown  in  the  case  of  Taka-Diastase.  The  liquid  prepara- 
tion has  been  tested  a  number  of  times  in  different  samples 
and  has  always  been  found  weak.  Some  samples,  in  fact, 
were  quite  inert.  This  ferment  appears  to  lose  strength 
very  rapidly  in  solution,  as  the  manufacturers  now  concede. 
The  stability  of  the  solid  product  is  also  far  from  satisfac- 
tory, and  appears  to  be  less  than  that  of  the  ferment  us 
marketed  some  years  ago.  The  two  samples  examined  re- 
cently were  weak." 

More  than  three  years  have  now  elapsed  since  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Council's  findings  regarding  Taka-Diastase — suffi- 
cient time,  it  is  believed,  for  the  manufacturers  to  modify 
either  their  claims  or  the  product  itself,  and  thus  again  make 
it  eligible  for  inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies. 
With  this  idea  in  mind  new  specimens  of  Taka-Diastase  and 
Liquid  Taka-Diastase  were  purchased  from  a  Chicago  drug 
house  and  the  preparations  reinvestigated.  The  following  is 
the  report  of  this  reinvestigation. 

1.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  July  11,  1908,  p.  140. 
•_'.  Xc\v   and   Xonofticial    Remedies,    1912,    p.    08 ;   THE  JOURNAL 
A.    M.   A.,   April  IT),   1911,   Part  2,  p.  18. 


44  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

BEPOBT    OF    THE   BEEXAMINATION 

In  our  report  on  the  diastase  preparations  three  years  ago, 
it  was  recommended  that  Taka-Diastase  be  removed  from  New 
and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  because  the  examinations  showed 
that  it  did  not  have  the  digestive  strength  claimed  for  it.  This 
was  true  both  for  Taka-Diastase  itself  and  for  Liquid  Taka- 
Diastase.  So  far  as  the  latter  was  concerned,  the  starch-con- 
verting power  was  practically  nil  in  those  preparations  which 
had  been  in  the  drug  stores  for  some  months. 

During  the  last  few  weeks  new  tests  have  been  carried  out 
with  several  samples  of  the  Taka-Diastase  preparations  and 
the  results  obtained  are  essentially  the  same  as  those  obtained 
in  the  former  examinations.  The  liquid  preparation  is  still 
extremely  weak  in  starch-converting  power,  while  we  found 
that  Taka-Diastase  itself  would  convert  only  16.6  parts  of 
pure  anhydrous  starch  to  the  colorless  end-point  in  ten 
minutes,  as  explained  below. 

In  our  method  of  experimentation  we  determine  the  weight 
of  the  diastase  in  question  which  will  convert  a  given  weight 
of  starch  in  uniform  paste  to  the  so-called  colorless  end-point 
in  ten  minutes,  that  is  to  the  point  where  it  will  no  longer 
give  any  color  reaction  with  a  standard  iodin  solution.  The 
standard  starch  weight  in  50  c.c.  always  is  1  gm.  or  1,000  mg. 
and  to  a  series  of  flasks  containing  this  amount  of  starch, 
maintained  at  a  constant  temperature  of  40  C.,  the  diastase 
dilutions  are  added.  These  diastase  dilutions  are  made  by 
dissolving  small,  accurately  weighed  amounts  of  the  sample 
in  some  small,  constant  volume  of  water,  usually  5  or  10  c.c. 
and  they  are  then  poured  into  the  starch  flasks  at  the  right 
temperature,  and  agitated  regularly. 

Tests  are  made  by  taking  a  few  drops  from  each  flask  and 
mixing  with  the  iodin  solution.  The  end-point  is  reached  when 
a  dilution  is  found  which,  at  ten  minutes  from  the  mixing 
time,  gives  no  color  with  the  iodin  reagent.  The  first  set  of 
tests  is  taken  as  a  general  guide,  and  quite  accurate  results 
may  be  obtained  in  a  second  set  of  dilutions. 

We  first  used  a  sample  of  Taka-Diastase  bought  in  the  open 
market.  It  was  found  that  140  mg.  were  required  to  convert 
the  gram  of  starch  as  explained.  This  is  equivalent  to  a  con- 
version of  7.14  parts  of  starch  by  1  part  of  the  Taka-Diastase. 

A  new,  and  possibly  fresher,  sample  was  then  obtained  and 
the  test  repeated.  With  this  new  sample  it  was  found  that 
60  mg.  were  necessary  to  convert  the  gram  of  starch  to  the 
colorless  end-point  in  ten  minutes,  from  which  it  follows  that 
1  part  of  the  ferment  will  convert  16.6  parts  of  starch  to  the 
colorless  end-point  in  the  same  time.  With  a  new  sample  of 
Liquid  Taka-Diastase  obtained  simultaneously  it  was  found 
that  3.5  c.c.  were  necessary  to  convert  1  gram  of  starch  to 
the  colorless  end-point  in  ten  minutes.  As  a  fluidounce  of 
this  liquid  is  said  to  contain  20  grains  of  the  solid  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  results  approximately  agree  with  those  of  the 
first  sample  of  the  solid,  and  that  they  are  both  very  low. 

In  the  earlier  tests  16  parts  of  starch  converted  by  1  part 
of  the  ferment  was  the  value  found.  These  results  are  in 
close  agreement  with  values  reported  by  Sherman  (Jour.  Am. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  45 

Ghent.  Soc.,  xxxii,  1073)  for  a  sample  of  recent  purchase.  He 
found  a  conversion  of  51  parts  of  starch  to  the  colorless  end- 
point  in  thirty  minutes  for  one  sample,  while  for  another  he 
found  66  parts,  in  the  same  time.  It  will  be  noted  that  our 
time  limit  is  ten  minutes.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  for  a 
perfectly  fresh  and  specially  prepared  sample  furnished  by 
Dr.  Takamine,  a  conversion  of  278  parts  in  thirty  minutes  was 
found  by  Sherman.  Taking  the  time  into  consideration  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  results  are  about  the  same  for  the 
market  samples  as  those  found  by  us  and  much  lower  than 
claimed,  as  well  as  much  lower  than  for  other  makes  of  sim- 
ilar products.  The  difference  in  the  behavior  of  fresh  Bpe- 
cially  prepared  Taka-Diastase  and  the  market  sample  is  very 
clearly  shown.  No  one  questions  the  fact  that  fresh  laboratory 
samples  of  Taka-Diastase  may  show  a  moderate  converting 
power  on  starch.  But  we  have  to  deal  with  the  activity  of 
narket  samples  only,  and  Sherman's  work  and  our  own  show 
die  low  digesting  power  of  the  product  as  physicians  may. 
secure  it  on  the  market. 

The  marked  difference  in  activity  between  perfectly  fresh 
and  ordinary  market  samples  of  Taka-Diastase  is  very  clearly 
shown  also  in  a  recent  paper  published  by  Wohlgemuth.8  In 
the  digestion  of  starch  paste  to  the  "dextrin"  stage  Wohlge- 
muth found  in  the  commercial  sample  a  strength  approxi- 
mately a  hundred  times  less  than  that  observed  in  a  fresh 
sample  sent  him  by  Dr.  Takamine. 

Wohlgemuth's  results  were  obtained  by  a  method  not  essen- 
tially different  from  ours,  with  this  difference,  however,  that 
he  digested  through  24  hours  in  the  cases  reported,  and  car- 
ried the  reaction  to  the  "dextrin"  stage  only,  in  place  of  to  a 
colorless  end-point.  Making  the  proper  reductions  it  is  evident 
that  the  actual  values  found  by  him  for  the  market  samples 
bought  in  Germany  are  not  greater  than  those  reported  by  us. 

The  reference  to  the  work  of  Sherman  is  made  because,  in 
a  following  paper  in  the  same  journal,  he  recommends  the  use 
of  salt  as  an  activator  in  finding  the  strength  of  certain  dias- 
tase preparations.  It  is  well  known  that  dialyzed  diastase 
preparations  and  starch  of  highest  purity  have  but  slight 
action  on  each  other;  a  little  salt  increases  the  activity 
greatly,  and  also  increases  the  activity  of  commercial  diastase 
preparations.  These  facts  Sherman  utilizes  in  working  out  a 
method  for  valuation  of  commercial  diastases.  The  facts  were 
well  known  to  us  at  the  time  of  our  former  report,  but  it 
was  not  thought  best  to  depart  from  the  general  method 
which  had  been  in  use  by  all  analysts  following  the  general 
scheme  of  Roberts.  Quite  recently,  I.  Bang  has  published  a 
paper  on  the  investigation  of  diastase  (Biochem.  Ztschr.,  xxxii, 
417)  in  which  he  studies  the  behavior  of  sodium  chlorid  and 
other  salts  on  the  rapidity  of  starch  conversion,  and  finds 
that  a  much  smaller  amount  of  salt  than  Sherman  recom- 
mends brings  the  maximum  increase. 

The  method  employed  in  our  former  tests  is  a  good  com- 
parative method,  and  that  is  all  that  may  be  claimed  at  pres- 
ent for  any  method.  By  adding  salt  to  our  starch  solution  the 
activity  of  Panase  and  other  ferments  is  likewise  greatly  in- 

3.  Wohlgemuth  :   Biochem.  Ztschr.,  March  18,  1912. 


40  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

creased.  For  Panasc,  a  preparation  possessing  rather  high 
starch-converting  power,  we  have  recently  found  an  increase  of' 
about  30  per  cent,  in  the  converting  power,  with  salt  present. 
Working  to  loss  of  blue  color,  merely,  it  is  possible  in  this  way 
to  get  a  higher  value  than  that  claimed  by  the  manufacturer. 
There  is  no  practical  gain  in  using  the  salt  for  our  purpose  as 
the  methods  are  at  best  arbitrary,  and  the  results  only  com- 
parative. 

Taking  all  the  facts  into  consideration  it  is  recommended 
that  the  rejection  of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka-Diastasc 
be  allowed  to  stand  and  that,  in  view  of  their  extensive 
exploitation,  this  report  be  authorized  for  publication  so 
that  physicians  may  know  the  facts. 

This  report  was  referred  to  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  and  they 
made  the  following  reply: 

.  "The  report  submitted  in  your  letter  of  the  23d  is,  we  con- 
tend, erroneous  and  unjust:  first,  to  our  Liquid  Taka-Diastase, 
because  over  three  years  ago  we  changed  our  formula,  reducing 
the  alcohol  from  18  per  cent,  to  10  per  cent.,  increasing  the 
glycerin  and  thus  prolonging  greatly  the  period  of  activity. 

"As  for  our  regxilar  Taka-Diastase,  our  claim  is  and  has 
been  for  years  simply  that  Taka-Diastase  will  digest  or  hydro- 
lyze  150  times  its  weight  of  starch  in  ten  minutes,  under 
proper  conditions.  .  We  do  not  claim,  we  do  not  permit  our 
representatives  to  c'laim,  that  Taka-Diastase  will  completely 
transform  starch,  to  the  colorless  end-point,  into  sugars.  Taka- 
Diastase  is  used  to  supplement  a  deficiency  of  ptyalin  and 
converts  the  starch  into  soluble  material  with  great  rapidity, 
thus  giving  the  gastric  fluid  immediate  access  to  the  proteids. 

"If  in  the  enclosed  labels  the  word  'digest'  were  replaced  with 
the  word  'liquefy,'  the  claim  could  not  be  assailed  by  the  most 
carping  critic.  To  save  any  possible  question,  we  shall  there- 
for make  this  change  in  our  label,  having  it  read:  'Taka- 
Diastase  will  liquefy  150  times  its  weight  of  starch  in  ten  min- 
utes, under  proper  conditions.'  Is  there  the  slightest  question 
in  your  mind  that  this  statement  as  just  quoted  is  entirely 
correct  and  entirely  supported  by  clinical  experience? 

"It  is  our  conviction  that  Taka-Diastase  has  a  very  remark- 
able power  to  hydrolyze  starch  either  in  the  test-tube  or  in  the 
stomach,  and  that  this  property  is  of  great  utility  in  clinical 
work.  We  do  not  claim  that  its  conversion  of  the  starch  into 
sugars  is  complete,  to  the  colorless  end-point  of  the  Johnson 
test;  and  on  this  point  we  have  been  perfectly  frank  with  the 
Council,  as  well  as  with  every  physician  who  has  taken  suffi- 
cient interest  to  inquire." 

In  view  of  the  above  protest,  the  matter  was  submitted  to 
a  second  referee,  who  reported  as  follows: 

"Your  referee  on  the  matter  of  Taka-Diastase  has  made  a 
careful  investigation  of  the  reports  and  correspondence  sub- 
mitted, and  begs  to  make  the  following  report: 

"The  question  at  issue,  viz.,  whether  Taka-Diastase  should 
be  included  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  T  believe,  can 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  47 

be  determined  by  the  material  before  me,  and  further  tests 
of  the  material  are  not  necessary. 

"The  letter  of  the  makers  of  Taka-Diastase  admits  that  the 
early  claims  regarding  the  strength  and  properties  of  the 
material  were  erroneous  and  exaggerated.  Since  the  product 
was  once  admitted  to  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  it  may 
be  claimed  that  as  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
must  have  been  in  error  then,  it  may  be  now.  Your  referee 
does  not  consider  this  supposition  worth  discussing.  The  con- 
clusion he  draws  is  that  the  Council  was  too  hasty  in  accepting 
the  preparation,  and  that  the  incident  shows  how  much  bet- 
ter it  would  be  in  all  cases  to  accept  no  remedy  until  sufficient 
time  has  been  given  for  conclusive  tests. 

"The  literature  still  sent  out  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
regarding  Taka-Diastase  is  misleading  and  of  a  kind  more 
appropriate  for  a  nostrum  than  a  standard  chemical  substance. 
What  would  we  think  if  morphin,  quinin  or  even  heroin  were 
advertised  in  the  same  way?  I  cite  the  statement,  'Taka- 
Diastase  digests  starchy  food  with  vigor  and  directness.'  It 
seems  to  the  referee  that  the  proposition  to  modify  the  label 
to  indicate  the  amount  of  starch  which  is  liquefied  rather  than 
the  amount  which  is  saccharified,  in  accordance  with  the 
Council's  standard,  is  bound  to  lead  to  confusion  and  to  give 
an  exaggerated  and  false  value  to  Taka-Diastase. 

"Your  referee  recommends  that  the  report  of  the  reinvesti- 
gation  of  Taka-Diastase  which  has  been  submitted  to  me,  be 
made  available  to  the  medical  profession,  and  that  the  rejec- 
tion of  Taka-Diastase  and  Liquid  Taka-Diastase  be  allowed  to 
stand." 

This  report  of  the  second  referee  was  submitted  to  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.,  with  the  request  that  they  state  more  explicitly 
their  claims  regarding  the  activity  of  Taka-Diastase  and 
Liquid  Taka-Diastase,  in  order  that,  if  they  decided  to  revise 
their  claims  for  the  preparations,  such  revision  of  claims 
might  be  published  along  with  the  reports  of  the  Council. 
They  replied  : 

"Answering  your  note  of  the  15th  instant:  We  have  no 
desire  to  discuss  further  the  subject  of  your  letter  of  Febru- 
ary 24,  or  to  make  any  statement  beyond  that  set  forth  in 
our  letter  to  you  of  Dec.  27,  1911."— (From  The  Journal  A.  M. 
A.,  July  6,  1912.) 

DIORADIN      REFUSED      RECOGNITION 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

A  preparation  called  Dioradin  was  placed  on  the  market 
as  a  cure  for  consumption  three  years  ago  in  Europe-  and 
somewhat  later  in  this  country.  It  was  first  submitted  to  the 
Council  in  July,  1911.  Because  of  the  manifestly  unwarranted 
claims  made  for  its  use  in  the  treatment  of  tuberculosis,  the 
Council  voted  that  the  product  be  refused  recognition  for  con- 
flict with  Rule  8,  without  at  that  time  taking  under  considera- 
tion the  question  whether  or  not  it  was  in  conflict  with  other 
rules  of  the  Council. 


48 

In  June,  1912,  further  consideration  of  Dioradin  was 
requested.  The  American  agent  having  promised  a  reform 
in  the  methods  of  advertising,  the  Council  considered  the 
available  evidence  regarding  the  identity  and  value  of  the 
preparation.  Examination  of  evidence  regarding  the  composi- 
tion of  Dioradin — claimed  to  consist  of  radium  chlorid,  iodo- 
form  and  menthol  in  an  ether-oil  solution — showed  serious  dis- 
crepancies as  to  the  amount  of  radium  as  well  as  to  the  iden- 
tity and  amounts  of  other  constituents.  It  was  further  found 
that  the  experimental  evidence  was  insufficient  and  biased. 
Then,  too,  in  view  of  the  difficulty  of  judging  the  effects  of 
medicines  in  tuberculosis,  the  clinical  data  were  unconvincing. 
There  was  nothing  to  prove  that  the  reported  improvements, 
even  if  they  actually  occurred,  were  to  be  ascribed  to  the  mix- 
ture as  a  whole  rather  than  to  any  one  of  its  constituents. 

As  a  result  of  these  findings,  the  Council  voted  that  Dioradin 
be  refused  recognition  and  that  the  publication  of  these  facts 
be  authorized.  In  accordance  with  its  regular  procedure,  it 
also  submitted  the  report  to  the  agent.  In  reply  the  agent 
submitted  evidence  which  showed  that  he  was  not  responsible 
for  the  misstatements  about  Dioradin  but  offered  no  facts  that 
affected  the  Council's  findings. 

The  entire  matter  having  been  referred  to  a  second  referee, 
minor  modifications  of  the  first  draft  of  the  repprt  were 
authorized.  Since  then  the  Dioradin  Company  has  submitted 
two  reports  of  examinations  of  Dioradin  made  for  the  com- 
pany in  Germany  showing  a  higher  radium  content  than  that 
previously  found.  These  reports  do  not  alter  the  facts  brought 
out  in  the  report  of  the  Council  that  the  composition  of 
Dioradin  has  been  variable,  which  past  variability  arouses  a 
feeling  of  uncertainty  or  lack  of  confidence.  In  view  of  this 
the  amended  report  was  ordered  published  and  appears  below. 
W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

FIRST  SUBMISSION  OF  DIORADIN 

Dioradin,  a  preparation  for  the  treatment  of  consumption 
originated  by  Dr.  R.  de  Szendeffy,  Budapest,  Hungary,  was 
submitted  to  the  Council  by  Louis  Gero,  Ltd.,  New  York,  with 
the  following  statement  of  composition: 

"A    radio-active    preparation    of    Menthol,    lodin    and    Radium 
Barium  Chlorid  1/10  of  a  drop ;  in  ether  solution." 
A  circular  which  accompanied  the   submission  stated: 

"Preparation  No.  3  of  Dioradin  contains  not  only  terplns  but 
also  iodin  salts     .    ..     .     In  view  of  the  fact  that  emanations  of 
the   radium   as   well   as   the   combinations   of   the   evasive   lodin 
terpins  enter  into  the  organism  through  the  lung    .    .    ." 
Later  these  indefinite  statements  of  composition  were  supple- 
mented by  the  following: 
"In  100  c.c.  there  are : 

1  gr.  lodoform. 

5   "    Menthol. 
10  drops  Radium  chlorid  solution  (1  milligr.  in  100  c.c.  of  water). 

5  gr.  ether. 
90   "    Oil  (ol.  amygd.  frig,  press)." 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  49 

In  a  circular  contained  in  the  package  these  claims  were  made: 

"The  preparations  of  the  Dioradin  are  based  on  the  miraculous 
effects  which  scientific  researches  have  shown  In  regard  to  the 
different  sicknesses  treated  with  radium. 

"It  is  generally  known  that  radium,  even.if  externally  employed, 
has  proved  itself  to  be  a  bactericidal  remedy.  Its  effect  is  multi- 
plied if  one  employs  it  internally  even  in  infinitesimal  doses,  in 
consequence  of  its  permanent  action  of  emanation  on  the  organ- 
ism. 

"The  preparations  of  the  Dioradin  contain  the  radium  itself. 
For  this  reason  their  antiseptic  and  bactericidal  effect  is  much 
more  intensive  than  with  medicaments  which  contain  only  its 
emanation,  which  disappears  in  a  short  tiaie." 

In  view  of  the  general  extravagance  of  the  claims  made  for 
its  therapeutic  action  the  preparation  was  rejected  without 
considering  other  possible  conflicts  with  the  rules  of  the 
Council. 

SECOND  SUBMISSION  OF  DIORADIN 

Having  been  advised  of  the  rejection  by  the  Council  of 
Dioradin  the  American  agency,  which  in  the  meantime  had 
become  the  Dioradin  Co.,  requested  further  consideration. 
The  Council  therefore  took  up  the  subject  again.  After  cer- 
tain typographical  errors  had  been  corrected  the  following  was 
now  given  as  the  composition: 

"1  gram  lodoform. 
5  grams  Menthol. 
10    drops   Radium   Chlorid   Solution    (containing   1    milligram   of 

radium  chlorid  in  100  cubic  centimeters  of  water). 
5  grams  Ether. 

89  grams  expressed  oil  of  almond. 

This  liquid  is  put  up  in  ampules  containing  one  cubic  centimeter 
of  liquid." 

In  support  of  the  therapeutic  claims  for  Dioradin  the  Amer- 
ican agent  submitted  literature  consisting  chiefly  of  articles 
by  Dr.  Bernheim  of  Paris.  Before  reporting  on  the  requested 
reconsideration  of  Dioradin  the  referee  directed  the  secretary  of 
the  Council  to  point  out  to  the  American  agent  that  in  the 
formula  given,  the  amount  of  non-volatile  matter  should  be 
about  90  per  cent.,  whereas  the  report  of  the  Lederle  Lab- 
oratories which  accompanied  the  request  for  reconsideration 
states  that  but  72.08  per  cent,  was  found  in  the  analysis. 
In  reply  the  agent  stated  that  he  had  called  the  attention 
of  Dr.  Szendeffy  (the  originator  of  Dioradin)  to  the  dis- 
crepancies concerning  non-volatile  matter  and  that  he  felt 
sure  the  discrepancy  was  wholly  accidental  (sic).  In  a  later 
communication  the  agent  submitted  a  statement  of  analysis 
from  the  Lederle  Laboratories  of  a  new  specimen  of  Dioradin 
according  to  Avhich  the  amount  of  non-volatile  matter  agreed 
essentially  with  the  amount  claimed  by  the  agent. 

The  referee,  having  examined  the  evidence,  is  of  the  opinion 
that  the  statement  of  composition  is  misleading  and  that  the 
therapeutic  claims  are  unwarranted,  thus: 


50  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

DISCREPANCIES    IN    RADIUM    CONTENT 

The  chief  claims  for  its  therapeutic  value  are  based  on  the 
radium  content,  yet  the  discrepancies  and  contradictions  regard- 
ing this  are  serious. 

Jn  connection  with  the  reconsideration  of  this  product  the 
agent  presented  a  certificate  of  chemical  examination  by  the 
Lederle  Laboratories  in  which  the  following  statement  was 
made  as  to  the  radio-activity: 

"Examination  shows  the  preparation  to  possess  slight  radio- 
activity, corresponding  in  activity  to  less  than  1-10,000  of  1  mil- 
ligram of  radium  bromid  per  ampule.  According  to  the  sworn 
statement  of  Dr.  A.  de  Szendeffy,  the  originator  of  Dioradin,  the 
preparation  contains  10  drops  of  radium  chlorid  solution  ( 1  mil- 
ligram in  100  cubic  centimeters  of  water)  in  100  cubic  centi- 
meters of  the  preparation.  This  would  correspond  to  5-1,000 
milligram  of  radium  chlorid  in  100  cubic  centimeters  or  about 
1-20,000  of  1  milligram  per  ampule." 

A  cursory  reading  of  this  paragraph  gives  the  impression 
that  Dioradin  possesses  fully  the  amount  of  radio-activity 
claimed  by  its  originator,  Dr.'  A.  de  Szendeffy.  This  impression 
is  greatly  strengthened  by  the  concluding  paragraph  of  the 
Lederle  report,  which  says : 

"In  conclusion,  our  examination  shows  that  the  preparation 
submitted  to  us  as  Dioradin  possesses  radio-activity,  and  contains 
a  fixed  oil  (apparently  expressed  oil  of  almond),  iodoform,  men- 
thol and  ether,  thus  confirming  the  sworn  statement  of  Dr.  A.  de 
Szendeffy  in  regard  to  the  composition  of  this  product." 

On  inquiry  as  to  the  method  used  by  the  Lederle  Lab- 
oratories, in  determining  radio-activity  the  agent  submitted 
a  further  statement  from  the  Lederle  Laboratories  which 
describes  the  gamma  ray  test  by  which  the  determination  was 
made  and  a  radium  value  equivalent  to  0.000041  mg.  of 
radium  bromid  per  capsule  was  obtained.  The  report  then 
says : 

"The  variations  of  the  single  measurements  from  the  mean  in 
the  case  of  the  natural  leak  and  the  leak  with  the  Dioradin  near 
were  so  large  that  we  did  not  feel  justified  in  assigning  much 
accuracy  to  the  figure,  0.000041,  but  stated  that  the  amount  of 
radium  per  capsule  could  not  be  greater  than  0.0001  mg.,  with 
the  possibility  of  there  being  a  much  smaller  amount  present." 

It  is  evident  that  the  wording  of  the  reports  of  the  Lederle 
Laboratories  is  liable  to  give  the  impression  that  their  exam- 
ination confirms  the  claims  made  for  Dioradin. 

It  is  further  evident  from  these  reports  that  the  amount  of 
radio-active  matter  nas  not  been  definitely  ascertained  but 
that  it  is  at  the  best  very  small.  The  unreliability  of  the 
claims  for  radium  content  of  Dioradin  was  recently  shown  by 
Buechner,1  who  found  a  specimen  obtained  from  an  apothecary 
to  contain  but  1-1000  of  the  amount  claimed. 

VOLATILE   AND   NON-VOLATILE   MATTER 

The  varying  claims  regarding  the  content  of  volatile  and 
non-volatile  matter  throw  doubt  on  the  entire  composition  of 

1.  Bnechnor :  Thnrm.  Wookblnd,  March  2,  1012,  p.  101. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  51 

Uioradin,  for  if  the  statement  as  to  these  is  wrong  the  rest 
of  the  statement  regarding  composition  cannot  be  given 
credence. 

In  the  first  submission  of  Dioradin  about  89  per  cent,  of  non- 
volatile matter  was  claimed  but  in  the  report  of  the  analysis 
by  the  Lederle  Laboratories,  which  accompanied  the  resub- 
mission,  only  about  72  per  cent,  was  found.  Later  the  Lederle 
Laboratories  reported  that  an  examination  of  a  new  specimen 
of  Dioradin  had  shown  about  90  per  cent,  of  non-volatile 
matter.  The  discrepancies  between  the  composition  claimed 
for  Dioradin  and  that  found  for  the  product  in  the  first  Lederle 
report  has  shown  that  the  agent  was  quite  ignorant  of  the 
composition  of  the  product  which  he  was  selling. 

INDEFINITENESS  OF  THE  IODIN   CONTENT 

The  label  on  the  trade  package  of  Dioradin  first  submitted  to 
the  Council  stated  that  the  product  contained  iodoform;  a 
similar  statement  was  made  in  the  submission  of  the  product; 
the  circular  accompanying  the  first  submission  stated  that 
'•iodin  salts"  were  contained  in  the  product  while  the  iodin  con- 
tent was  referred  to  further  on  in  this  circular  as  "combinations 
of  evasive  iodin  terpins."  In  Beriiheim's  papers,  which  have  been 
used  to  advertise  Dioradin,  and  which  are  referred  to  in  the 
same  circular,  the  iodin  compound  is  called  "iode  peptoniseY' 
which,  according  to  information  stated  by  the  American  agent 
to  have  come  from  Budapest,  is  to  be  translated  "iodized 
peptone."  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  confusion?  One  would 
naturally  suppose  that  the  preparation  to  be  sold  in  this 
country  contains  iodoform. in  an  ether-oil  solution  while  the 
one  used  by  Bernheim  and  Dieupart-  was  stated  to  contain  an 
ethereal  solution  of  "iodized  peptone."  This  is  another  mystifi- 
cation, for  an  ethereal  solution  of  any  kind  of  peptone  would 
be  a  novelty.  The  matter  is  of  some  importance,  for  Bern- 
heim and  Dieupart  lay  great  stress  on  the  difference  between 
"peptonized  iodin"  and  other  iodin  (loc.  cit.,  p.  333)  and  of 
the  superiority  of  ethereal  over  oily  solutions  (loc.  cit.,  p.  334). 
The  American  agents,  however,  in  the  second  submission, 
state  that  this  is  all  a  mistake;  that  the  Dioradin  used  by 
Bernheim  is  the  same  Dioradin  which  was  submitted  to  the 
Council;  and  that  this  does  not  contain,  and  never  did  contain, 
the  ethereal  solution  of  "iode  peptonise'"  to  which  Bernheim 
attached  so  great  importance.  Bernheim  (report  to  Medical 
Congress  of  Lyons)  himself  has  come  to  the  same  conclusion; 
for  five  months  after  his  first  paper  he  believes  that  the 
"special  salt  of  radium"  (sic)  is  the  principal  agent;  so  that 
the  "peptonized  iodin"  must  be  unimportant,  and  in  a  cable- 
gram of  July  4,  1912,  he  now  informs  the  Dioradin  Company 

2.  Bernheim  and  Dienpart :  Revue  Internationale  do  la  Tuber- 
culoso.  May,  1911,  p.  33G. 


52  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

that  the  formula  was  incorrectly  given  in  his  first  papers 
"owing  to  my  ignorance  of  actual  composition ;"  and  that  all 
the  Dioradin  used  by  him  was  of  the  composition  stated  in 
the  submission  to  the  Council. 

While  this  vindicates  the  good  faith  of  the  American 
Dioradin  Company,  it  does  not  clear  up  the  mystery.  The 
question  occurs  at  once:  What  led  Dr.  Bernheim  to  make 
such  positive  statements?  Was  he  drawing  purely  on  his 
imagination  ?  If  so,  why  did  his  imagination  take  this  peculiar, 
special  direction?  Or  if  he  did  have  some  reason  to  imagine 
the  "iode  peptonise","  who  supplied  this  reason?  And  if,  at 
that  time,  he  was  given  to  understand  by  Szendeffy,  who  must 
have  supplied  him  with  the  material,  that  it  contained  the 
iodized  peptone,  how  can  he  be  positive  at  this  time,  that  it 
did  not  contain  it  ?  Has  he  actually  analyzed  the  old  material  ? 

There  is  also  a  further  question  which  needs  to  be  answered. 
Why  has  Dr.  Szendeffy  waited  until  Dioradin  was  rejected 
by  the  Council  before  correcting  Bernheim's  serious  misap- 
prehension, in  the  meantime  permitting  the  circulation  of 
Bernheim's  paper? 

Until  these  questions  have  been  satisfactorily  answered,  the 
element  of  mystery  about  the  composition  of  Dioradin  cannot 
be  cleared  away. 

EXPERIMENTAL  EVIDENCE 

The  available  experimental  evidence  regarding  "Dioradin" 
is  restricted  to  some  quotations  from  its  inventor  Szendeffy,  in 
the  paper  of  Bernheim  and  Dieupart  (p.  334).  These,  if  con- 
firmed, would  show  that  radium  alone  has  practically  no  effect 
on  cultures  of  tubercle  or  colon  bacilli;  that  0.1  gm.  of  "iode- 
monthol"  (concentration  not  stated)  checks  the  growth  of  the 
acid-fast  organisms;  and  that  this  antiseptic  efficiency  can  be 
nearly  doubled  by  the  addition  of  a  little  radium.  No  quan- 
titative data  are  given,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  judge  the 
accuracy  of  the  observation.  Granting  that  it  is  correct,  it 
would  have  little  bearing  on  the  therapeutic  actions  of  Diora- 
din, for  there  is  nothing  to  show  that  the  effective  test-tube 
concentration  is  reached  in  the  pulmonary  tissues. 

It  is  also  claimed  that  the  injection  of  Dioradin  prevents 
tubercle  infection.  The  referee  believes  that  the  Council  and 
the  medical  profession  should  hesitate  to  accept  this  conclusion 
without  further  details;  and  these  would  require  confirmation 
by  unprejudiced  observers. 

CLINICAL  EVIDENCE 

The  Dioradin  Company  submits  considerable  clinical  data 
in  favor  of  Dioradin.  It  must  be  remembered  that  most 
favorable  opinions  have  been  published,  from  time  to  time, 
about  scores  of  "consumption  cures,"  which  have  mysteriously 
lost  their  efficiency  when  their  novelty  wore  away.  There  is 
no  more  reason  to  doubt  the  good  faith  of  those  who  are 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  53 

enthusiastic  about  Dioradin  than  of  those  who  have  been 
enthusiastic  about  other  "cures."  There  appear  to  be  features 
in  the  course  of  tuberculosis  which  make  the  judgment  of 
therapeutic  measures  peculiarly  difficult.  It  is  possible  that 
impartial  clinical  trials  of  Dioradin  by  tuberculosis  experts 
appointed  by  the  Council  might  facilitate  judgment  as  to  the 
actual  efficiency  of  Dioradin.  The  referee  doubts,  however, 
whether  this  would  advance  the  Council  very  much  toward 
the  acceptance  of  the  substance.  Such  an  investigation  would 
be  so  lengthy,  that  it  should  not  be  undertaken  until  the 
Dioradin  Company  itself  has  offered  at  least  presumptive 
.evidence  in  this  direction,  especially  in  view  of  the  adverse 
report  recently  made  by  Cecil  Wall.3  Ten  tuberculous  patients 
were  treated  by  Wall  in  strict  accordance  with  the  method 
outlined  to  him  by  Bernheim,  yet  Wall  concludes  that  none 
of  the  cases,  though  treated  accurately  in  accordance  with 
the  instructions,  can  be  quoted  to  justify  any  of  the  claims 
for  the  therapeutic  efficiency  of  Dioradin.  The  Council  cannot 
undertake  lengthy  investigations  of  this  character,  until  it  is 
put  in  possession  of  data  which  would  show  to  its  satisfaction 
that  such  investigations  would  probably  be  fruitful. 

CONCLUSIONS 

From  investigations  made,  it  appears  that  the  claims  in 
regard  to  the  composition  of  Dioradin  have  contained  vague 
statements  and  contradictions  which  arouse  a  feeling  of  uncer- 
tainty and  lack  of  confidence.  Until  this  uncertainty  is  cleared 
away,  Dioradin  cannot  be  considered  as  complying  with  Rule 
1.  The  experimental  data  are  insufficient  and  unconvincing. 
Some  favorable  clinical  reports  have  been  submitted,  but  the 
accuracy  of  the  observations  is  to  be  questioned  and  they  are 
more  than  offset  by  the  negative  results  observed  by  Cecil 
Wall.  As  might  be  expected,  other  negative  results,  if  observed, 
have  not  been  submitted  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  manufac- 
turer's claim  to  show  whether  the  improvement  reported  is 
really  due  to  the  peculiar  mixture  called  Dioradin  or  to  any 
one  of  its  ingredients. 

It  is  therefore  recommended  that  Dioradin  be  not  accepted 
for  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies. ,  In  view  of  the  extensive 
advertising  of  this  preparation  and  because  of  the  admittedly 
incorrect  statements  in  the  earlier  papers  it  is  recommended 
that  publication  of  this  report  be  authorized. — (F^om  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  26,  1912.) 


ECHINACEA 

Report  of   the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The    Council    has    voted    to    reject   several    non-proprietary 
articles  and  has  recommended'  that  the  reasons  for  their  rejec- 
tion be  given  in  THE  JOURNAL;  among  these  is  echinacea.    The 

3.  Wall,  C.  :    Brit.  Med.  Jour.,  July  20,  1912,  p.  109. 


:>t  /'A'O/'.U/.l.mi      FOR     REFORM 

following  paper  has  been  submitted  by  a  subcommittee  with 
the  recommendation  that  it  be  published.  This  recommenda- 
tion was  adopted.  w.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Echinacea 

When  this  drug  was  first  introduced,  it  was  a  typical  nos- 
trum, with  exaggerations  regarding  its  therapeutic  value  that 
were  somewhat  more  gross  than  usual.  It  was  later  adopted 
by  the  eclectic  school  without  being  freed  from  the  stigmata 
of  its  origin.  It  was  also  pressed  into  use  as  the  main  ingre- 
dient of  such  proprietary  preparations  as  echafolta,  ecthol 
eusoma,  etc.  Efforts  have  been  made  to  get  the  regular  pro- 
fession to  use  it  in  these  various  forms. 

According  to  J.  U.  Lloyd  (Pharm.  Review,  vol.  xxii,  p.  9-14), 
the  introduction  of  echinacea  into  eclectic  medicine  is  due  to 
the  efforts  of  Dr.  H.  F.  C.  Meyer  to  increase  the  sale  of  Meyer's 
Blood  Purifier,  a  secret  remedy  containing  it.  The  following 
is  a  literal  copy  of  the  label  on  this  nostrum: 


MEYER'S    BLOOD    PURIFIER 

DIRECTIONS 

This  is  a  powerful  drug  as  an  Alterative  and  Antiseptic 
cases  :  Rheumatism,  Sick  Headache,  Erysipelas,  Dyspepsia, 
Old  Sores  and  Biles,  Open  Wounds,  Dizziness,  Scrofula  and 
Sore  Eyes. 

In  case  of  Poisoning  \>y  Herbs,  d  C..  take  the  double 
dosis,  and  Bites  of  Rattlesnakes  take  three  ounces  three 
times  a  day,  until  the  swelling  is  gone.  This  is  an  absolute 
cure  within  24  hours. 


After  Lloyd  had  identified  the  plant,  Meyer  put  the  prepara- 
tion out  under  another  form  with  the  following  label: 


ECHINACEA    ANGUSTEFOLIA 

This  is  a  powerful  drug  as  an  Alterative  and  Antiseptic 
In  all  tumorous  and  Syphilitic  indications ;  old  chronic 
wounds,  such  as  fever  sores,  old  ulcers,  Carbuncles,  .Piles, 
eczema,  wet  or  dry,  can  be  cured  quick  and  active  ;  also 
Erysipelas.  It  will  not  fail  in  Gangrene.  In  fever  it  is  a 
specific;  typhoid  can  be  adverted  in  two  to  three  days; 
also  in  Malaria,  Malignant,  Remittent  and  Mountain  fever 
it  is  a  specific.  It  relieves  pain,  swelling  and  inflam- 
mation, by  local  use,  internal  and  external.  It  has  not 
and  will  not  fail  to  cure  Diphtheria  quick.  It  cures  bites 
from  the  bee  to  the  rattlesnake,  it  is  a  specific.  Has 
been  tested  in  more  than  fifty  cases  of  mad  dog  bites  in 
human  and  in  every  case  it  prevented  hydrophobia.  It 
has  cured  hydrophobia.  It  is  perfectly  harmless,  internal 
and  external. 

Dose. — One  half  to  one  fluid-drachm  3  or  4  times  a  day. 

Manufactured  by  H.  C.  F.  Meyer,  M.D. 
PRICE,  $  PAWNEE  CITY,  NEB.,  U.  S.  A. 

Patent 


These  absurd  claims  of  an  evidently  ignorant  man  have 
passed  into  the  more  recent  proprietary  advertising  matters 
and  into  much  of  the  eclectic  writings.  Indeed,  the  seemingly 


COUXV1L     REl'ORTH  55 

impossible  has  been  attained  by  even  surpassing  Meyer's  all- 
but-all-embracing  claims.  Not  content  with  endorsing  echinacea 
as  a  positive  and  speedy  "specific"  for  rattlesnake  bite,  syph- 
ilis, typhoid  fever,  malaria,  diphtheria  and  hydrophobia,  later 
enthusiasts  have  credited  it  with  equally  certain  curative 
effects  in  tuberculosis,  tetanus  and  exophthalmic  goiter,  and 
with  the  power  of  retarding  the  development  of  cancer. 

It  is  worth  noticing — although  it  is  not  surprising — that 
these  far-reaching  claims  have  been  made  on  no  better  basis 
than  that  of  clinical  trials  by  unknown  men  who  have  not 
otherwise  achieved  any  general  reputation  as  acute,  discrim- 
inating and  reliable  observers.  No  attempt  seems  to  have  been 
made  to  verify  these  claims  by  accurate  scientific  methods, 
clinical  or  otherwise,  although  this  could  very  easily  have  been 
done. 

Not  one  of  the  eulogistic  reporters  and  exploiters  seems  to 
have  considered  it  worth  while  to  determine  by  the  simplest 
control  experiments  whether  the  drug  possesses  any  bacteri- 
cidal or  antiseptic  powers  whatever.  It  is  therefore  not  very 
strange  that  discriminating  physicians  have  failed  to  show 
much  enthusiasm.  One  of  the  warmest  endorsers  of  echinacea, 
C.  S.  Chamberlain  (who  later  became  the  president  of  the 
Eusoma  Pharmaceutical  Company),  complains  that  he  has 
been  unable  to  interest  regular  physicians  in  the  remedy.  He 
reviews  the  statements  of  previous  authors  and  reports  eight 
cases  of  infection,  only  two  being  acute  or  extensive,  in  which 
he  used  it  with  asserted  success. 

In  view  of  the  lack  of  any  scientific  scrutiny  of  the  claims 
made  for  it,  echinacea  is  deemed  unworthy  of  further  consid- 
eration until  more  reliable  evidence  is  presented  in  its  favor. 

REFERENCES 

Meyer.  H.  F.  C. :  Eclectic  Med,.  Jour.,  1887 ;  Goss :  Chicago  Med. 
Times,  1888  ;  Hages  :  Eclectic  Med.  Jour.,  1888 ;  Shelly :  Medical 
Gleaner,  1894  ;  Lloyd,  C.  G. :  Eclectic  Med.  Jour.,  1897 ;  Lloyd,  J.  U. : 
Eclectic  Med.  Jour.,  1897 ;  Lloyd,  J.  U. :  Pharm.  Review,  xxil,  9-14 ; 
Schnltz,  Elsie  M. :  Wis.  Med.  Recorder,  1898,  11,  202 ;  White,  J.  N. : 
Texas  Med.  News,  1898-8,  viil,  110-113 ;  Stinson,  J.  C. :  Therap. 
Gazette,  1900  ;  Hale,  E.  :  Lancet-Clinic,  March,  1901 ;  Thlelen,  B.  F. : 
Echafolta,  Its  Uses  in  Dental  Surgery,  Dental  Reg.,  1903,  vii,  462- 
465 ;  Gorse,  C.  A. :  New  Albany  Med.  Herald,  1903-4,  xxii,  384  ; 
Chamberlain,  C.  S.  :  Louisville  Monthly  Jour.  Med.  d  Surg.,  1904-5, 
xl,  219-223  ;  Lancet-Clinic,  1905,  M.  S.,  liv,  279-283  ;  Ellingwood,  F.  ; 
Therap.  Gazette,  1905,  3,  S.,  xxi,  298-300 ;  French,  J.  M. :  Med. 
Brief,  1905,  xxxiil,  537;  Mathews,  A.  B.  :  Georgia  Pract..  1905. 
1,  137-140.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A..  Nov.  27,  1909.; 


ERPIOL    (DR.    SCHRADER) 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  original  rules  of  the  Council  governing  the  acceptance 
of  articles  have  recently  been  modified,  particularly  by  adop- 
tion of  Rule  10,  which  reads: 

"Unscientific  and  Useless  Articles. — No  article  will  be  admitted 
which,  because  of  its  unscientific  composition,  is  useless  or  inimical 
to  tlu>  bost  interests  of  the  public  or  of  the  medical  profession." 


50  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

In  view  of  these  modifications,  the  Council  is  reconsidering 
the  articles  already  accepted  with  the  view  of  determining 
their  compliance  with  the  rules  as  amended.  In  line  with  this 
the  Council  reconsidered  Erpiol  (Dr.  Schrader),  manufactured 
by  the  William  S.  Merrell  Chemical  Company,  and  from  the 
evidence  given  below  concluded  that  one  of  the  constituents, 
gossypin,  is  inert  and  its  use  unscientific.  The  Council  there- 
fore voted  that  Erpiol  (Dr.  Schrader)  be  omitted  from  New 
and  Nonofficial  Remedies  and  authorized  publication  of  the 
following  report.  W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

Erpiol 

In  consequence  of  the  more  thorough  scrutiny  now  given  by 
the  Council  to  the  therapeutic  value  of  the  remedies  admitted 
to  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  the  Council  has  reconsidered 
Erpiol  (Dr.  Schrader),  previously  accepted  for  New  and  Non- 
official  Remedies.  Erpiol  (Dr.  Schrader)  is  the  name  applied 
to  capsules  containing  apiol,  ergotin  and  gossypin,  which  are 
sold  as  an  emmenagogue.  The  first  two  ingredients  have  a 
recognized  value  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  female 
generative  organs.  The  third,  gossypin,  is  a  preparation  from 
cotton-root  bark,  belonging  to  the  somewhat  indefinite  class  of 
pharmaceutical  preparations  known  as  resinoids. 

Cotton-root  bark  (Gossypii  radicis  cortex,  U.  S.  P. )  has  been 
credited  by  some  with  pharmacologic  and  therapeutic  proper- 
ties, similar  to  ergot,  especially  in  its  action  on  the  uterus; 
experiments  on  pregnant  animals  do  not  confirm  this  view. 
Most  authorities  on  gynecology  either  make  no  reference  what- 
ever to  the  drug  or  ascribe  little  or  no  value  to  it.  The  prepa- 
rations from  the  dried  bark  are  inert. 

From  reports  made  to  him,  Professor  J.  U.  Lloyd  concluded 
(Eclectic  Med.  Jour.,  1876,  xxxvi,  545)  that  a  prime  fluidex- 
tract  of  fresh  cotton-root  bark  is  an  active  therapeutic  agent 
and  deserving  the  attention  of  the  medical  profession,  while 
that  of  the  dry  bark  is  inert  and  worthless.  The  gossypin  on 
the  market  is  made  from  the  dried  bark. 

Professor  Lloyd,  who  is  considered  an  authority  on  eclectic 
medicine,  says:  "Were  it -left  to  me  to  admit  or  exclude  it 
by  reason  .of  its  therapeutical  position,  I  should  exclude  it, 
because,  in  my  opinion,  it  has  never  been  demonstrated,  in 
clinical  practice,  to  be  worthy  of  any  therapeutic  recognition 
whatever." 

As  the  available  evidence  indicates  that  gossypin  is  an  inert 
preparation,  Erpiol  (Dr.  Schrader)  was  considered  in  conflict 
with  Rule  10  and  the  Council  has  therefore  voted  that  it  be 
deleted  from  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies. — (From  The  Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  June  3,  1911.) 


FALSE  UNICORN   (HELONIAS) 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  Council  voted  to  refuse  to  recognize  false  unicorn  as 
a  non-proprietary  article  and  the.  following  statements,  sub- 
mitted by  a  subcommittee,  were  ordered  published. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  57 

False  Unicorn — Helonias 

Helonias  dioica,  or  more  properly  CharKElirium  luteum,  is  a 
plant,  preparations  of  which  enter  into  various  proprietary 
mixtures  for  diseases  of  the  female  pelvic  organs.  In  the 
advertisements  of  these  preparations  it  is  usually  credited 
with  hemostatic  powers  and  is  asserted  to  -be  a  uterine  tonic. 

There  is  practically  no  reference  to  this  drug  in  reliable 
medical  literature,  and  as  there  is  no  evidence  worthy  of 
credence  to  support  the  claims  made  for  it,  the  drug  was  not 
considered  deserving  of  a  place  in  the  Pharmacopeia.  Hence, 
it  may  be  regarded  as  a  drug  not  worthy  of  attention  of  physi- 
cians.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  21,  1909.) 


FORMUROL 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
Formurol,  Citrocoll  and  Aspirophen  were  submitted  to  the 
Council  by  the  Cellarius  Company  of  San  Francisco.  The 
manufacturers  having  failed  to  substantiate  the  claims  they 
make  for  these  products,  the  Council  has  voted  that  the  prepa- 
rations be  refused  recognition.  The  Council  also  authorized 
the  publication  of  the  following  report,  which  deals  particu- 
larly with  one  of  the  preparations — Formurol. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Formurol  is  the  product  of  the  Chemische  Fabrik  Falken- 
berg,  Falkenberg-Gruenau,  near  Berlin,  Germany.  The  Cel- 
larius Company,  San  Francisco,  acting  as  selling  agents  for  the 
United  States,  submitted  Formurol  (along  with  Aspirophen 
and  Citrocoll,  also  made  by  the  same  firm)  to  the  Coun- 
cil, with  the  statement  that  it  is  "hexamethylentetramin- 
sodium-citrate,"  and  that  it  has  the  following  composition: 
"C.H70INa.C8H12N4." 

Zernik,1  who  examined  these  products,  reported  that 
Aspirophen,  Citrocoll  and  Formurol  do  not  have  the  composi- 
tion that  is  claimed  for  them  by  the  Fabrik  Falkenberg. 
Formurol,  he  states,  is  not  a  definite  chemical  compound,  but 
a  mixture  of  hexamethylenamin  and  sodium  citrate.  The 
agents  were  advised  of  this  fact  by  the  Council  and  were 
asked  to  submit  evidence  to  substantiate  their  claims.  No 
such  evidence  was  submitted. 

Since  a  compound  having  the  composition  that  is  claimed 
for  Formurol  is  theoretically  possible,  the  Council  requested 
that  the  product  be  examined  in  the  Association  Laboratory  to 
determine  whether  it  still  was  the  simple  mixture  reported  by 
Zernik,  or  whether,  perhaps,  it  now  possessed  the  formula 
claimed  for  it.  The  following  report  was  made  by  the  Asso- 
ciation chemists: 

1.  Zernik  :   Arb.   a.   d.  Pharmazeut.  Inst.  d.  Univ.  Berlin,  1907, 
iv.  46. 


58  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Formurol,  as  submitted  to  the  Council,  was  in  the  form 
of  tablets  weighing  about  1  gm.  each  and  appeared  to  be 
composed  of  a  fine  white  substance  interspersed  with 
some  transparent  particles.  The  tablets  were  readily 
soluble  in  water,  were  odorless  and  possessed  a  slightly 
acid  taste.  The  aqueous  solution  responded  to  tests  for 
hexamethylenamin,  citrate  and  sodium.  To  determine 
whether  hexamethylenamin  was  present  in  the  free  or  the 
combined  state,  the  method  of  Zernik  was  employed.  This 
consists  in  the  extraction  of  Formurol  with  chloroform, 
which  dissolves  out  hexamethylenamin,  leaving  insoluble 
sodium  citrate.  As  the  use  of  the  solvent,  chloroform, 
would  seem  to  preclude  decomposition  of  such  a  hypo- 
thetical compound  as  "hexamethylenamin-sodium-citrate," 
the  extraction  of  hexamethylenamin  from  Formurol  may 
be  taken  to  demonstrate  its  presence  in  the  free  state. 

That  Formurol  is  not  a  compound  of  hexamethylenamin, 
but  a  mixture  of  hexamethylenamin  and  sodium  citrate, 
was  further  indicated  by  the  appearance  of  the  crushed 
tablets  described  above.  Further,  under  the  low-power 
microscope  the  powder  was  found  to  be  composed  of  trans- 
parent crystals  and  white  opaque  particles  which  appeared 
to  be  masses  of  minute  crystals.  When  treated  with 
chloroform  the  transparent  crystals  dissolved,  leaving  the 
white  masses  intact,  demonstrating  the  presence  of  two 
distinct  substances,  one  soluble  and  the  other  insoluble  in 
chloroform.  It  having  been  demonstrated  that  the  residue 
obtained  by  evaporation  of  chloroform  could  not  be 
weighed  as  hexamethylenamin,  due  to  enclosed  chloroform, 
the  amount  of  this  substance  in  the  residue  was  deter- 
mined. 

The  method  used  has  been  described  in  the  Report  of 
the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, Vol.  I,  p.  55,  and  depends  on  the  decomposition  of 
hexamethylenamin  by  means  of  sulphuric  acid  to  form 
ammonium  sulphate  and  formaldehyd.  From  this  solution 
the  ammonia  is  liberated,  distilled  and  determined  by 
titration  and  from  the  ammonia  found  the  amount  of 
hexamethylenamin  is  calculated.  By  this  method  Formurol 
was  found  to  contain  (a)  35.42  per  cent,  and  (6)  35.32 
per  cent.,  or  an  average  of  35.37  per  cent,  hexamethylen- 
amin. The  residue  insoluble  in  chloroform  was  shown 
to  consist  essentially  of  disodium  hydrogen  citrate  by 
determining  the  amount  of  sodium  (Xa)  contained  in 
Formurol.  The  percentage  of  sodium  calculated  from  the 
amount  of  sodium  sulphate  found  was  (a)  11.38  per  cent, 
and  (6)  11.20  per  cent.,  or  an  average  of  11.29  per  cent., 
equivalent  to  62.50  per  cent,  disodium  hydrogen  citrate. 

As  a  check  on  this  determination,  the  amount  of 
material  contained  in  Formurol  which  is  insoluble  in 
chloroform  was  determined.  It  was  found  to  be  (a)  63.23 
per  cent,  and  (6)  63.49  per  cent.,  making  an  average  of 
63.36  per  cent.,  and  thus  agreeing  fairly  well  with  the 
results  obtained  when  the  sodium  content  was  assumed  to 
be  disodium  hydrogen  citrate.  From  this  analysis  it 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  59 

appears  that  Formurol  is  not  a  definite  compound  of 
hexamethylenamin  and  sodium  citrate,  but  instead  is  a 
mixture  of  these  substances  consisting  approximately  of 
hexamethylenamin  35.37  per  cent,  and  sodium  acid  citrate 
(disodium  hydrogen  citrate)  63.36  per  cent.,  practically  a 
mixture  of  1  part  hexamethylenamin  and  2  parts  sodium 
acid  citrate.  These  results  agree  with  those  reported  by 
Zernik5  and  show  that  the  product  now,  as  then,  is  not 
true  to  claims. 

In  view  of  the  findings  of  the  laboratory,  it  is  recommended 
that  Formurol  be  refused  recognition.  As  the  exploitation  of 
well-known  remedies  under  false  and  misleading  names  is 
detrimental  to  the  progress  of  medicine,  it  is  recommended 
that  publication  of  this  report  be  authorized. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE:  This  report  illustrates  once  more  the 
value  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  and  the 
Chemical  Laboratory  to  the  medical  profession.  Before  the 
Council  was  organized  there  was  no  agency  to  protect  the  phy- 
sician's interests  in  the  matter  of  pharmaceuticals.  Under  the 
old  regime  Formurol  would  have  been  heralded  as  a  new 
"synthetic"  of  the  most  approved  made-in -Germany  type — 
and  the  claims  would  have  gone  unchallenged.  To-day  its 
status  is  made  clear  and  the  profession  is  informed.  Only 
those  who  have  closely  studied  the  question  can  realize  what 
a  wonderful  power  for  commercial  probity  the  Council  has 
proved.  Under  the  laissez  faire  system  of  the  past,  many  large 
pharmaceutical  firms  gave  little  attention  to  the  accuracy  of 
the  claims  made  for  their  products.  If  the  advertising  gave 
good  "pulling"  results,  that  was  all  that  was  asked  or 
expected.  Within  the  past  five  years  a  wonderful  change  has 
taken  place  in  this  regard,  and  firms  of  the  better  class 
have  so  modified  their  advertising  as  to  make  it  not  only  con- 
servative in  tone,  but  to  approximate  scientific  accuracy. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  21,  1911.) 


GARDNER'S  SYRUP   OF  HYDRIODIC   ACID 

Report  to  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  following  report  on  Gardner's  Syrup  of  Hydriodic  Acid 
was  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  subcommittee: 

This  product  was  first  taken  under  consideration  in  Febru- 
ary, 1906.  Reference  to  several  committees  was  necessary,  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  claims  for  the  pharmaceutical,  and 
especially  the  therapeutic,  superiority  of  this  preparation.  At 
this  time,  as  the  Council  did  not  have  the  necessary  facilities 
for  investigating  therapeutic  claims,  the  product  was  approved 
by  ihe  Council. 

Since  this  time,  however,  the  manufacturers  have  laid 
especial  stress  in  their  advertisements  on  some  highly  improb- 
able claims,  stating,  for  instance,  that  this  Syrup  of  Hydriodic 

5.  Therap.  d.  Gegenw.,  February,  1909. 


60  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Acid  possesses  "all  the  advantages,  with  none  of  the  objec- 
tionable symptoms  caused  by  potassium  iodid,  or  other  forms 
of  iodin  medication."  To  one  with  even  an  elementary 
knowledge  of  chemistry,  the  absurdity  of  this  statement  should 
be  evident.  The  alkaline  reaction  of  the  tissues  makes  it 
impossible  that  hydriodic  acid  should  persist  as  such  in  the 
body.  In  fact,  the  iodin  must  circulate  in  precisely  the  same 
form,  whether  administered  originally  as  potassium  iodid  or 
as  hydrogen  iodid.  The  qualitative  identity  of  the  therapeutic 
actions  is  further  proof  of  this  fact,  were  such  needed. 

Since  the  most  important  objectionable  symptoms  of  iodid 
medication  arise  after  the  absorption  of  the  drugs,  and  since 
hydrogen  iodid  is  conceded  to  be  readily  absorbed,  it  is  evident 
that  these  symptoms  must  be-  equally  liable  to  occur  with 
hydrogen  iodid  as  with  potassium  iodid,  provided  that  equiva- 
lent doses  of  iodin  are  administered.  An  apparent  difference 
in  clinical  results  would  arise  if  one  drug  were  habitually 
given  in  smaller  doses  than  the  other.  Since,  however,  the 
iodin  is  present  in  the  body  in  precisely  the  same  form, 
whether  it  is  administered  as  a  hydrogen  iodid  or  potassium 
iodid,  it  is  evident  that  a  given  degree  of  therapeutic  effect 
would  correspond  to  an  identical  tendency  to  iodism,  which- 
ever drug  was  used.  If,  as  appears  to  be  the  case,  the  use  of 
hydriodic  acid  is  commonly  restricted  to  those  cases  in  which 
only  minimal  doses  of  iodin  are  required,  the  relative  infre- 
quency,  or  even  absence  of  symptoms  with  such  doses  would 
not  prove  that  the  drug  itself  is  less  apt  to  cause  them  than 
is  the  potassium  salt. 

These  facts  are  in  reality  self-evident;  but  since  the  Coun- 
cil now  has  the  proper  facilities  for  obtaining  the  views  and 
experiences  of  clinicians,  it  voted  to  submit  the  statement  in 
question  to  its  staff  of  clinical  consultants,  and  to  be  guided 
by  their  advice. 

OPINIONS    OF    THE    CLINICAL    STAFF 

The  following  is  an  epitome  of  the  replies  of  the  eleven 
members  of  this  staff  who  had  used  the  article  or  who 
expressed  an  opinion  to  the  questions  sent  out  by  the  Council : 

1.  QUERY:  "Do  you  think  it  possible  that  such  a  prepa- 
ration could  be  devoid  of  the  usual  effects  of  iodin  prepara- 
tions?" 

Eight  reply  that  they  consider  this,  a  priori,  impossible; 
three  stamp  the  statement  as  highly  improbable,  but  do  not 
care  to  say  that  it  would  be  impossible.  One  of  the  corre- 
spondents remarks:  "While  distinctly  taking  the  position  that 
under  many  conditions  we  must  accept  clinical  results  which 
we  find  not  explainable  by  our  theoretical  knowledge,  where 
the  conditions  are  so  simple  as  in  this  case  and  where  we 
know  that  the  iodin,  whether  administered  as  hydrogen  iodid 
or_  potassium  iodid,  must  behave  in  the  same  way,  after 
absorption,  I  believe  that  no  properly  educated  and  correct 
thinking  physician  can  or  will,  after  due  consideration,  fail  to 
reject  the  claims  of  superiority  made  by  the  proprietors  of 
this  preparation." 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  61 

2.  QUSRY:     ''Would  you  consider  it  necessary  to  make  clin- 
ical   experiments   to   settle   this   question?" 

Seven  of  the  correspondents  consider  this  superfluous;  four 
of  these  have  had  some  experience  with  the  article.  Four, 
who  have  not  used  this  product,  consider  a  clinical  test 
advisable.  Under  Query  3  we  discuss  the  results  of  such  tests. 

3.  QUERY:     "When  using  Gardner's  Syrup  of  Hydriodic  Acid, 
have  you  ever  noticed  from  it  any  of  the  objectionable  effects 
of   iodin   preparations?" 

Six  of  the  correspondents  have  not  used  it,  or  are  uncertain 
whether  or  not  they  used  the  product  made  by  Gardner.  One 
correspondent  remarks:  "Never  used  it.  Repelled  by  claims 
of  superiority  which  exaggerate  disadvantages  of  potassium 
iodid  and  overlook  the  small  amount  of  iodin  used  in  the 
preparation  advertised."  The  five  clinicians  who  have  pre- 
scribed the  preparation  report  as  follows:  1.  Objectionable 
iodin  effects  in  two  cases,  both  patients  being  intolerant  of 
all  iodin  preparations.  2.  Has  only  prescribed  it  once  or  twice, 
but  thinks  he  has  seen  iodism  in  one  case,  some  years  ago; 
does  not  recall  clearly.  3.  No;  but  has  used  this  make  very 
little,  and  then  always  in  very  small  but  continued  doses. 
4.  No,  but  always  used  it  in  small  doses.  5.  Yes,  several 
cases  in  children;  typical  coryza,  etc.,  with  doses  of  three 
drams  three  times  a  day. 

CONCLUSIONS:  It  appears  that  typical  iodism  occurred  in 
several  cases,  after  doses  corresponding  to  10  grains  or  less 
of  potassium  iodid  per  day,  and  this  is  a  rather  limited  clinical 
material.  Objectionable  iodin  effects  are,  therefore,  not  uncom- 
mon. Several  correspondents  remark  that  the  relative  infre- 
quency  of  iodism  is  easily  explainable  by  the  fact  that  syrup 
is  rarely  employed  in  conditions  which  demand  an  active 
iodin  medication  and  that  it  is,  therefore,  always  taken  in 
small  doses.  In  fact,  the  main  "if  not  the  only  point  of 
superiority  of  the  syrup  appears  to  be  in  its  flavor. 

These  clinical  opinions  and  experiences,  therefore,  are  in 
complete  agreement  with  the  judgment  of  the  committee, 
namely,  that  the  therapeutic  claims  made  by  the  manufac- 
turers for  this  article  are  exaggerated  and  misleading. 

OTHER   MISSTATEMENTS 

The  above  is  by  no  means  the  only  misstatement  in  the 
printed  matter  issued  by  this  manufacturer.  In  the  publi- 
cation, "The  Applications  of  Iodin,"  issued  in  1907,  there  occur 
the  following  misleading  statements  which,  since  they  refer 
to  plainly  chemical  facts,  did  not  require  submission  to  the 
clinical  staff: 

That  the  administration  of  potassium  iodid  after  meals 
greatly  impairs  its  physiologic  action  "by  its  chemical  union 
with  the  various  food  products"  (Page  19).  So  far  as  the 
committee  knows,  potassium  iodid  does  not  combine  with 
the  food  products  in  the  stomach. 

"Iodid  of  potassium,  having  an  alkaline  reaction,  neutralizes 
the  hydrochloric  acid  in  the  gastric  secretions,  causing  indi- 
gestion, loss  of  appetite  and  depression"  (Page  19).  The 


62  PROPAGANDA     FOR     UEFOh'M 

United  States  Pharmacopeia  states,  under  Potassii  lodidum: 
"Its  aqueous  solution  is  neutral  or  has  a  slightly  alkaline 
reaction  on  litmus  paper."  The  slight  occasional  alkalinity 
would  be  physiologically  insignificant,  and  it  is  absurd  to 
claim  that  this  alkalinity  causes  "indigestion,  loss  of  appetite 
and  depression." 

"The  dose  of  iodid  of  iron  is  so  small  that  the  amount  of 
iodin  contained  therein  is  of  little  advantage"  (Page  19).  AS 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  pharmacopeial  average  dose  (1  c.c.)  of 
the  Syrup  of  Iodid  of  Iron  contains  as  much  iodin  (0.85  grains) 
as  a  teaspoonful  of  Gardner's  Syrup  of  Hydriodic  Acid 
(0.83  grains). 

"In  hydriodic  Acid  the  iodin  is  in  combination  with  hydro- 
gen, one  of  the  elements  of  the  natural  secretions  of  the 
body,  and  is,  therefore,  in  physiologic  harmony"  (Page  21). 
No  comment  is  needed. 

It  is  implied  elsewhere  (Page  29)  that  potassium  iodid 
decomposes  more  readily,  with  the  liberation  of  iodin,  than 
does  hydrogen  iodid.  This  is  contrary  to  the  prevailing  opin- 
ion, and  would  require  definite  evidence  before  it  could  be 
accepted.  It  is  also  stated  the  large  doses  of  potassium  iodid 
in  syphilis  are  necessary,  because  the  gastric  decomposition 
prevents  complete  absorption.  This  is  certainly  xmtrue,  for 
potassium  iodid  is  absorbed  almost  quantitatively. 

These,  and  numerous  other  misstatements,  constitute  viola- 
tions of  Rule  6;  and  it  is,  therefore,  recommended  that 
Gardner's  Syrup  of  Hydriodic  Acid  be  removed  from  the  list 
of  remedies  approved  by  the  Council;  it  is  further  recom- 
mended that  this  report  be  published. 

The  Council  postponed  final  action  on  the  report  pending  its 
submission  to  R.  W.  Gardner.  This  having  been  done,  and  the 
reply  of  Mr.  Gardner  submitted  to  the  Council,  the  above 
report  was  adopted  and  ordered  published. 

W.  A.  PUCKXER,  Secretary. 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  Uh  1908.) 


GLYCOZONE 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry,  with 
Comments 

A  number  of  specimens  of  Glycozone  purchased  in  the  open 
market  were  examined  by  a  sub-committee.  The  product 
was  found  to  be  a  mixture  of  approximately  90  per  cent, 
glycerin,  5  per  cent,  glyceric  acid,  a  small  amount  of  water 
and  traces  of  undetermined  matter.  The  absence  of  hydrogen 
peroxid  or  other  peroxids  was  demonstrated. 

In  its  report  the  sub-committee  held  that:  (1)  The  name 
of  the  product  is  objectionable  and  misleading;  (2)  the  state- 
ments made  in  regard  to  its  composition  also  are  misleading; 
(3)  the  claims  for  its  therapeutic  value  are  exaggerated  and 
untrue.  Since  the  objectionable  statements  have  been  given 


COUNCIL     REPORTS 


wide  publicity  among  physicians  as  well  as  among  the  laity, 
the  sub-committee  recommended  that  attention  should  be 
called  to  the  matter  in  THE  JOUBNAL. 

The  report  of  the  sub-committee  was  adopted  by  the  Council. 
W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

COMMENT: — While  the  name  gives  the  impression  that  ozone 
or  some  similar  substance  is  an  essential  constituent  of 
Glycozone,  or  else  that  the  preparation  is  a  compound  or  de- 
rivative of  ozone,  and  while  the  earlier  advertisements  stated 
that  Glycozone  was  "glycerin  combined  with  ozone,"  the  ex- 
amination made  by  the  Council  shows  that  there  is  no  basis 
of  fact  for  such  inferences. 

In  the  advertisements  the  "chemical  formula"  C8HaO4  + 
C3H8O3  appears  under  the  word  Glycozone.  From  the  Council's 
report  it  is  apparent  that  C3H6O4  stands  for  glyceric  acid  and 


HYDROZONE 


IS   THE    MOST   POWERFUfc  ANTISEPTIC   AND    PUS    DESTROYER. 
HARMLESS  STIMULANT  TO  HEALTHY  GRANULATIONS. 


GLYCOZON 

THE   MOST    POWERFUL,  HEALI 

These  remedies  cure  all  diseases  caused  by  Germs. 

Successfully  used  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  Genito-Uriuary  Organs  (Acute  or  Chronic): 
Whites,  Leucorrhoea,  Vaginitis.  Metritis.  Endometritis,   Ulceration  of  the  Uterus, 


Urethritis, 

Injections  of  Hydrozone  dil 


.  , 

Cystitis,  Ulcer  of  the  Bladder,  Etc. 

g  to  the  degree  of  sensitiveness  of  the 


^  :    MtwMh&J     L.I         .,    life       !...ul«.  bcftrioc*  yellow 

-     • 
d's  Eye  Balsam  cures  »ll  tEStery  aod 


Much-reduced  photographic  reproduction  of  one  of  the  older 
Glycozone  advertisements.  Attention  is  directed  to  the  false  claim 
that  this  nostrum  is  "glycerin  combined  with  ozone." 

the  C3HS03  for  glycerin,  and  that  these,  therefore,  indicate  the 
chief  constituents  of  Glycozone.  Few,  doubtless,  would  recog- 
nize the  first  formula  as  being  that  of  a  glyceric  acid,  a  product 
practically  unknown  in  medicine,  nor  would  many  associate 
glycerin  with  the  second.  The  evident  intent  is  that  physi- 
cians should  accept  the  formula  as  a  badge  of  respectability. 

According  to  the  label  on  a  trade  package,  Glycozone  is 
"prepared  only  by  Charles  Marchand,  chemist,"  and  is 
an  absolute  cure  for  dyspepsia,  catarrh  of  the  stomach,  ulcer 
of  the  stomach,  heart-burn,"  etc^  The  label  further  reads: 
"This  remedy  is  positively  harmless.  By  destroying  the 
microbian  element  in  the  stomach  it  prevents  the  fermenta- 
tion of  food  and  stimulates  digestion."  An  examination  of 
medical  literature  fails  to  reveal  any  basis  for  these  claims. 


64  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

While  glycerin  possesses  some  antiseptic  properties,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  glycerin  which  constitutes  90  per  cent,  of  this 
remedy  is  not  the  agent  that  gives  the  glycozone  such  phe- 
nomenal virtues.  General  literature  contains  nothing  that 
would  indicate  that  glyceric  acid  in  any  quantity,  with  or 
without  glycerin,  possesses  these  miraculous  properties.  If 
by  "microbian  element"  is  meant  microbic  organisms,  the 
statement  is  wouthout  foundation.  There  is  nothing  in  this 
product  which  possesses  these  bactericidal  powers. 

The  circular  which  accompanied  a  trade  package,  envelopes 
the  preparation  in  an  air  of  mystery.  Derivation  from,  or 
close  relation  to,  ozone  and  hydrogen  peroxid  is  vaguely  hinted 
at,  without  definite  assertion.  Thus,  the  chief  therapeutic 
properties  of  glycozone  and  hydrozone  are  compared  as  follows : 

"Hydrozone  Instantly  destroys  the  microbian  element,  leaving 
the  tissues  beneath  In  a  healthy  condition." 

"Glycozone  acts  more  slowly,  but  not  less  certain  as  a  stimulant 
to  healthy  granulations." 

There  is  no  similarity  between  the  -action  of  hydrozone, 
which  is  a  hydrogen  peroxid  preparation,  and  glycozone,  which 
consists  of  a  mixture  of  glycerin  and  glyceric  acid.  The  rep- 
resentation is  false  and  misleading.  The  following  statement. 
also,  is  an  unwarranted  exaggeration  of  the  facts: 

"As  an  internal  medication  in  fermentation  of  food,  catarrhal 
and  Inflammatory  conditions  of  the  stomach,  and  Intestinal  disor- 
ders, Its  action  is  prompt  and  effective,  giving  Immediate  relief  to 
the  patient." 

The  following  is  another  illustration  of  the  vague  state- 
ments made:  After  asserting  that  glycozone  is  hygroscopic  and 
that  it  will  deteriorate  by  absorption  of  water  unless  securely 
corked,  it  is  stated  that  "Its  healing  properties  increase  with 
age."  Whatever  mysterious  ingredient  there  may  be  present  in 
this  mixture  to  justify  the  statement  that  the  healing  proper- 
ties increase  with  age  can  only  be  conjectured.  To  humbug  the 
patient  further,  the  circular  advises  him  to  use  only  a  "silver, 
glass  or  hard  rubber  spoon." — (From  The  Journal  A.  M,  A., 
June  5,  1909.) 


LABORDINE 

A  Report  by  the  Council  and  Some  Pertinent  Comments  Added 

Thereto 

The  following  report  was  submitted  to  the  Council  on  Phar- 
macy and  Chemistry  by  the  subcommittee  which  examined 
Labordine : 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — Your  sub- 
committee presents  the  following  report  on  Labordine, 
sold  by  the  Labordine  Pharmacal  Co.,  St.  Louis. 

Labordine  is  advertised  to  physicians  as  having  the  fol- 
lowing composition: 

Apium    Graveolens    (true    active    principle)     ((Process- 

Laborde"   35% 

Gaultheria  Fragrantissima   (true  active  principle) 


COUNCIL     REPORTS-  65 

"Process-La  horde"    .- 23  % 

Act-to  Amido-1'lionylc    15 Vs 

Quinina    1  % 

Benzoyl-Sulphyonic-Iiiiidc 23V4 

It  is  stated  to  be  a  "vegetable  antipyretic";  that  it 
"reduces  temperature  without  heart  depression,"  and 
physicians  are  warned  to  "avoid  acetanilid  poisoning  and 
danger  from  other  coal-tar  antipyretics." 

While  the  "formula"  and  the  .statement  just  quoted  are 
sufficient  evidence  of  the  fraudulent  character  of  the  pro- 
duct, yet  an  abstract  of  the  reports  of  the  chemists  who 
analyzed  it  is  given  further  to  demonstrate  its  character. 

Taking  the  average  of  the  reports  of  analyses,  Labor- 
dine  contains: 

Acetanilid     37.9 

Free  salicylic  acid    

Quinin   

Corn  starch    

Milk  sugar 


This  report  of  analysis  only  makes  apparent  that  Labor- 
dine  is  not  what  it  is  claimed  to  be.  While  it  is  claimed 
to  contain  231/!  per  cent,  saccharin,  this  substance  was 
not  present,  or  mere  traces  only.  While,  in  a  disguised 
.  way,  it  is  stated  to  contain  15%  per  cent,  acetanilid,  it 
contained  nearly  40  per  cent. 

It  is  recommended  that  Labordine  be  not  approved  and 
that  this  report  be  published. 

The  recommendation  of  the  subcommittee  was  adopted  by 
the  Council,  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  above  report  is 
published.  W.  A.  PCCKNER,  Secretary. 

COMMENTS 

A  concrete  illustration  of  some  general  principles  previously 
laid  down  is  furnished  by  a  nostrum  too  unimportant  to  be  of 
any  value,  save  to  "point  a  moral  and  adorn  a  tale." 

About  thirteen  years  ago  Labordine  was  advertised  under 
the  name  of  Analgine-Labordine,  "A  purely  vegetable  product," 
"a  combination  of  the  active  principles  of  Camellia  Thea, 
Apium  Graveolcns,  saccharin  and  carbohydrates,"  "Superior  to 
Antipyrine,  Phenacetine,  Antifebrine,  Acetanilid" — note  the  use 
of  two  names  for  the  same  thing — "or  any  of  their  imitations," 
and  "unexcelled  by  any  coal-tar  product  or  their  compounds." 


In  1894  the  name  was  changed  to  Labordine,  in  order,  as  'ts 
owner  stated,  to  prevent  its  being  mistaken  for  a  coal-tar 
product  of  similar  name. 

What  its  composition  was  at  this  time  we  do  not  know, 
since  there  is  no  guarantee  of  the  permanence  nor  stability  of 
nostrum  formulas  except  "the  honor  and  reputation  of  the 
manufacturers,"  which,  as  investigation  has  shown,  is  not 
always  unimpeachable.  There  has  been  nothing  to  prevent 
alteration  of  the  formula,  if  the  proprietors  desired,  with  every 
change  in  the  moon.  But  the  name  and  the  general  tone  of 
the  advertising  has  been  the  same.  The  claim  of  superiority 
over  coal-tar  products  has  been  constantly  made. 

As  to  the  present  condition/3,  a  circular  enclosed  with  a 
sample  of  Labordine,  recently  sent  from  the  St.  Louis  office, 
contains  the  formula  given  above  in  the  report  of  the  Council. 
In  the  same  circular  are  also  found  these  illuminating  state- 
ments: "The  medical  profession  has  long  appreciated  the  dan- 
gers involved  in  the  administration  of  various  mineral  reme- 
dies now  so  commonly  employed,  and  the  value  of  a  safe,  effect- 
ive and  reliable  vegetable  antipyretic  is  universally  recognized. 
Such  a  remedy  is  Labordine.  It  is  purely  vegetable  in  its 
composition  and  produces  none  of  the  evil  after-effects  of  the 
coal-tar  derivatives.  .  .  .  Labordine  ...  is  a  purely 
vegetable  cardiac  stimulant.  .  .  .  There  is  nothing  mys- 
terious about  Labordine  or  its  constituents.  .  .  .  Tne 
'Process-Laborde'  gives  the  true  active  principles  of  the  Celery 
and  Indian  Wintergreen,  something  heretofore  difficult  to 
obtain.  To  this  is  added  the  fact  that  absolutely  chemically 
pure  Acet-Amide-Phenyle  is  used.  The  latter  is  the  most  valu- 
able and,  in  fact,  the  only  vegetable  antipyretic  known." 

The  above  report  of  the  Council  shows  the  following  facts: 

1.  Apium    Graveolens    (true    active    principle),    "Process- 
Laborde"  is  probably  powdered  celery  seed.    One  chemist  says: 
"The  powder  has   the  characteristic  odor  of  celery,  while  a 
microscopic   examination   shows  the   presence  of  a   substance 
having  the  characteristic  structure  of  seeds  in  general."     If 
celery  seed  has  any  "active  principle"  it  has  never  been  iso- 
lated.   As  to  its  therapeutic  value,  nothing  whatever  is  known. 
It  is,  we  understand,  highly  beneficial  in  the  case  of  singing 
canaries,  but  authorities  in  scientific  therapeutics  have  never 
discovered  that  it  possessed  any  remarkable  medicinal  quali- 
ties. 

2.  Gaultheria  Fragrantissima  (true  active  principle),  "Proc- 
ess-Laborde,"    is    probably    ordinary    everyday    salicylic    acid. 
One  analysis  showed  salicylic  acid  to  be  present  to  the  amount 
of  about  7  per  cent.     The  question  of  whether  or  not  salicylic 
acid  could  in  any  way  be  considered  the  "true  active  princi- 
ple" of    Gaultheria   Fragrantissima,  was   submitted   to   Prof. 
John  Uri  Lloyd  of  Cincinnati,  the  eminent  authority  on  the 
chemistry  of  the  proximate  principles  of  plants,  who  replies: 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  67 

The  advertisement  is  evidently  so  worded  that,  although 
the  name  of  the  Indian  plant  Gaultheria  Fragrantissima  is 
employed,  its  true  and  active  principle  being  wintergreen 
oil,  the  concoctor  can  mystify  his  patrons  and  at  the  same 
time  use  the  well-known  wintergreen  oil,  made  in  America, 
which  in  my  opinion,  so  far  as  any  chemical  test  might  be 
concerned,  could  not  be  distinguished  from  the  methyl 
salicylic  acid  (wintergreen  oil)  derived  from  the  Indian 
plant.  Concerning  whether  salicylic  acid  is  a  proximate 
constituent  of  Gaultheria  Fragrcmtissima,  in  my  opinion, 
it  would  be  a  misnomer  to  make  such  an  announcement. 
Salicylic  acid,  per  se,  does  not  exist,  in  my  opinion,  in  the 
plants  mentioned,  being  made  by  chemistry. 

3.  The  third  and  most  important  ingredient  in  this  "purely 
vegetable  antipyretic"  is  brazenly  announced  as  "Acete-Amide- 
Phenyle,"  but  it  is  only  necessary  to  say  that  this  imposing 
designation  is  an  attempt  to  "Frenchify"  a  scientific  name  for 
acetanilid. 

.  Analysis  shows  that  this  coal-tar  product  is  present  to  the 
amount  of  37.9  per  cent.,  or  1.89  grs.  in  a  5-grain  tablet.1  In 
other  words,  this  imposing  Labordine,  made  by  a  mysterious 
and  elsewhere  unheard  of  "Process-Laborde,"  is  simply  one 
more  of  the  many  acetanilid  powders  that  have  been  foisted 
on  our  profession  and  that  have  filled  our  journals  for  years 
past.  The  only  thing  in  it  that  is  of  practical  therapeutic 
value  is  2  grains  of  acetanilid  to  a  5-grain  tablet.  The  state- 
ment that  Labordine  is  a  purely  vegetable  preparation  is  prob- 
ably intended  by  the  proprietors  as  a  good  joke  on  the  medical 
profession.  Acetanilid  is  not  usually  regarded  as  a  vegeta- 
ble product,  at  least  it  is  not  ordinarily  found  in  market  gar- 
dens. The  only  vegetable  source  from  which  acetanilid  can  be 
obtained  is  the  beautiful  flowering  coal-tar  bush,  from  which 
so  many  other  nostrum  vendors  obtain  their  "perfectly  harm- 
less, purely  vegetable  antipyretics,"  all  composed  of  acetanilid 
and  something  to  hide  it.  If  the  statements  made  by  one  of 
the  company's  employees  and  quoted  below  are  true,  Labordine 
is  not  "manufactured  and  made  chemically  pure  in  the  labora- 
tories of  the  Labordine  Pharmacal  Company,"  for  this  com- 
pany has  no  laboratory,  and  its  product  is  manufactured  for  it. 

4.  Our  readers  will  be  interested  to  know  that  the  import-- 
ant  ingredient  entered  under  the  imposing  name  of  Benzoyl- 
Sulphyonic-Imide  is  simply  a  highly  scientific  name  for  sac- 
charin.    Even  on  this  point,  however,  the  formula  is  mislead- 
ing, since  it  claims  23^  per  cent,  of  this  substance,  whereas 
the  analysis  shows  that  the  presence  of  saccharin  could  not  be 
proved.     If  it  is  present  at  all  it  is  in  quantities  much  less 
than  stated,  and  so   small   as  to  be  difficult  of  recognition. 

1.  Since  this  article  was  prepared  we  find  that  the  national  Pood 
and  Drugs  Act  tas  forced  the  proprietors  of  Labordine  to  put  on  the 
label  the  amount  of  acetanilid  it  contains,  viz.,  40  per  cent.,  or 
2  grains  in  a  5  grain  tablet. 


08  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Instead  it  appears  that  the  product  contains  common  starch 
and  about  35  per  cent,  of  milk  sugar. 

THE   COMPANY  ITSELF 

One  of  the  humiliating  phases  of  the  proprietary  medicine 
business  is  that,  in  many  instances,  these  preparations  are 
foisted  on  our  profession  by  men  who  know  nothing  of  medi- 
cine, pharmacy  or  chemistry,  yet  who  not  only  presume  to 
concoct  our  medicines  for  us.  but  also  assume  to  instruct  us 
how  to  use  them. 

Gould's  Commercial  Register  for  1907  gives  the  officers  of 
the  Labordine  Pharmacal  Company  as  H.  M.  Coudrey,  presi- 
dent; M.  Crawley,  vice-president,  and  D.  E.  Gamble,  Jr.,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer.  The  place  of  business  is  given  as  420 
Market  street,  St.  Louis.  We  are  informed  that  Harry  M. 
Coudrey  is  an  insurance  agent  and  the  present  member  of 
Congress  from  the  Twelfth  Missouri  District ;  that  Mark 
Crawley  is  a  clerk  in  the  insurance  office  of  H.  M.  Coudrey; 
and  that  Mr.  Gamble  is  cashier  in  the  same  office.  A  recent 
visit  of  a  representative  of  THE  JOURNAL  to  420  Market  street, 
St.  Louis,  showed  that  the  office  of  the  Labordine  Pharmacal 
Company  is  in  Room  12  on  the  third  floor  of  an  old  dilapi- 
dated building.  There  was  no  sign  on  the  door  of  the  office, 
but  on  the  wall  next  to  an  old  elevator  was  a  very  small  sign 
which  read  "Labordine  Chemical  Company,  Room  12."  The 
office  at  the  time  of  the  visit  was  apparently  in  charge  of  a. 
young  woman  about  20  years  old.  Careful  scrutiny  of  the 
furniture  and  fixtures  showed  that  the  room  contained  an  old 
oak  roll-top  desk  in  one  corner  and  a  kitchen  table,  on  which 
were  piled  about  half  a  dozen  packages  of  Labordine.  The 
floor  of  the  room  was  bare  and  very  dirty.  In  an  adjoining 
room,  the  door  of  which  was  open,  was  piled  a  lot  of  broken 
furniture.  No  laboratories  nor  chemical  apparatus  were  visi- 
ble. The  young  woman  in  charge  stated  that  Labordine  was 
made  by  the  Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works,  at  No.  3600  North 
Second  street,  St.  Louis. 

This  is  a  fair  sample  of  nostrums  and  of  the  methods  of 
exploiting  them.  The  bitterly  humiliating  fact  about  the  whole 
•business  is  that  a  preparation,  advertised  under  such  palpably 
misleading  claims,  could  actually  be  advertised  in  medical 
journals,  even  in  journals  of  a  supposedly  high  scientific 
standard,  and  could  be  bought  and  prescribed  for  years  by  sup- 
posedly intelligent  and  conscientious  physicians.  It  is  not  sup- 
posed that  every  physician  should  be  enough  of  a  chemist  to 
detect  the  ridiculous  discrepancies  between  the  published  for- 
mula and  the  therapeutic  claims  made  for  such  a  mixture. 
But  that  members  of  a  supposedly  learned  profession  should 
fail  to  have  enough  interest  in  the  preparations  they  prescribe 
for  their  confiding  patients  to  find  out  that  acetanilid  is  being 
masked  under  an  obsolete  and  little  used  name,  that  under 


COUNCIL     KE  PORTS  69 

an  imposing  polysyllabic  designation  is  hidden  saccharin, 
that  the  so-called  "active  principles  Process-Laborde"  (what- 
ever that  may  be),  is  equivalent  only  to  one-third  grain 
of  salicylic  acid,  in  a  5-grain  tablet,  and  that  the  advertising 
matter  sent  out  for  years  by  this  company  contained  absolute 
falsehoods  regarding  the  composition  and  therapeutic  benefits 
of  its  preparation,  is  certainly  just  cause  for  shame  and  humil- 
iation. If  a  physician,  knowing  the  composition  of  Labordine, 
wishes  to  prescribe  it  and  prescribes  it  intelligently,  he  has 
a  perfect  right  to  do  so.  If  he  wishes  his  patient  to  have  2 
grains  of  acetanilid,  1/20  of  a  grain  of  quinin,  and  1/3 
of  a  grain  of  salicylic  acid,  and  considers  a  mixture  of  ground 
celery  seed,  starch  and  milk  sugar  as  a  proper  vehicle  for  this 
medication,  no  one  will  question  his  right  to  administer  it. 
No  physician,  however,  has  any  right,  either  moral  or  profes- 
sional, to  prescribe  a  preparation,  concerning  the  ingredients 
of  which  he  knows  absolutely  nothing. 

Is  it  possible  that  such  carelessness  may  be  one  of  the 
causes  of  waning  public  confidence  in  our  profession?  We 
leave  it  to  our  readers  to  determine  whether  such  a  moral  can 
be  drawn  from  this  typical  nostrum  story. — (From  The  Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  March  30,  1907.) 


LACTOPEPTINE 

Report    of    the    Council    on    Pharmacy    and    Chemistry,    with 

Comments  Thereon 

The  following  report  was  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  sub- 
committee : 

We  have  devoted  considerable  time  to  the  investigation  of  Lacto- 
peptine (powder)  and  report  as  follows: 

The  label  on  the  package  contains  this  statement :  "Lactopeptine 
contains  the  five  active  agents  of  digestion — pepsin,  diastase  (veg. 
ptyalin),  pancreatin,  lactic  acid  and  hydrochloric  acid — combined 
in  the  proper  portion  to  insure  the  best  results." 

Examinations  demonstrated  that  more  than  90  per  cent,  of  Lac- 
topeptine is  milk  sugar. 

The  amount  of  pepsin  contained  in  Lactopeptine  is  somewhat 
less  than  10  per  cent,  of  official  pepsin. 

Careful  examination  failed  to  show  the  presence  of  either  dias- 
tase or  pancreatin. 

Examination  demonstrated  a  minute  trace  of  chlorid  only,  there- 
fore the  preparation  does  not  contain  any  appreciable  amount  of 
hydrochloric  acid.  The  amount  of  lactic  acid,  calculated  from  the 
quantity  of  potassium  hydroxid  required  for  neutralization,  was 
found  to  be  3  per  cent. 

From  the  above  it  is  evident  that  Lactopeptine  (powder)  is  at 
least  no  more  efficient  as  a  digestive  agent  than  the  ordinary 
Saccharated  Pepsin,  official  in  the  1880  U.  S.  Pharmacopeia,  but 
replaced  in  the  present  Pharmacopeia  by  the  more  active  and 
dependable  Pepsin. 

These  findings  were  submitted  to  the  manufacturers  of  Lacto- 
peptine, the  New  York  Pharmaceutical  Association,  who,  in  their 
reply,  stated,  "Regarding  the  assertion  that  Lactopeptine  does  not 


70  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

contain  pancreatin  and  diastase,  we  herewith  confirm  and  reassert 
our  statement  that  Lactopeptine  is  and  has  always  been  manufac- 
tured in  accordance  with  the  published  formula  and  that  the  fer- 
ments referred  to  exist  in  the  preparation  as  stated  in  the 
formula." 

In  view  of  these  reasserted  claims  regarding  the  composition  of 
Lactopeptine,  another  specimen  was  purchased  in  the  open  market. 
Its  examination  showed  that  it  was  of  even  poorer  quality  than  the 
first  specimen  examined.  The  tests  not  only  failed  to  show  the 
presence  of  diastase  or  pancreatin,  but  also  failed  to  show  the 
presence  of  any  appreciable  amount  of  pepsin. 

From  these  experiments  your  subcommittee  must  conclude  that 
Lactopeptine  contains  but  small  amounts  of  pepsin,  that  it  contains 
no  hydrochloric  acid  or  mere  traces  only,  and  that  it  contains 
neither  diastase  nor  pancreatin.  Hence,  the  statements  made  by 
the  manufacturers  in  regard  to  the  composition  of  Lactopeptine 
are  incorrect.  Since  the  composition  of  Lactopeptine  is  not  given 
by  the  manufacturers,  but,  instead,  corresponds  to  a  weak  sac- 
charated  pepsin,  it  is  evident  that  the  claims  made  as  to  its  ther- 
apeutic value  are  unwarranted,  exaggerated  and  misleading.  It 
is,  therefore,  recommended  that  Lactopeptine  be  not  approved.  In 
view  of  the  wide  publicity  given  to  the  claimed  composition  and 
therapeutic  value  of  the  article,  it  is  further  recommended  that 
this  report  be  published. 

The  recommendations  of  the  subcommittee  were  adopted  by 
the  Council,  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  report  is  pub- 
lished. W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

Reduced  to  a  few  words,  the  above  report  shows  that — what- 
ever the  manufacturer  may  have  put  into  it — Lactopeptine  as 
it  exists  on  the  market  was  found  by  the  subcommittee  to  be 
only  equal  to  a  weak  saccharated  pepsin,  which  has  but  one- 
tenth  the  digestive  power  of  the  official  pepsin  and  that  Lacto- 
peptine at  times  is  inert. 

That  the  subcommittee  which  examined  Lactopeptine  could 
find  neither  diastase  nor  pancreatin  was  to  be  expected,  since 
it  has  been  demonstrated  repeatedly  that  those  ferments  are 
destroyed  by  pepsin  in  the  presence  of  acid.  The  examination 
shows  that  in  the  absence  of  solvents  the  presence  of  lactic 
acid  still  enables  the  destruction  of  pancreatin  and  diastase. 
That  the  manufacturers  should  have  attempted  to  manufacture 
such  an  impossible  product,  and  that  the  medical  profession' 
should  have  accepted  it,  is  not  creditable  to  either  party  con- 
cerned. 

That  the  subcommittee  should  fail  to  find  the  hydrochloric 
acid  claimed  to  be  contained  in  the  product  was  a  foregone 
conclusion.  If  it  is  remembered  that  ordinary  hydrochloric 
acid  is  a  solution  of  hydrogen  chlorid  in  water  and  that  hydro- 
gen chlorid  itself  is  a  gas,  the  absurdity  of  the  claim  that  it 
is  contained  in  a  dry  powder  is  apparent. 

It  is  astonishing  that  physicians  should  so  long  have  used  a 
product  about  whose  therapeutic  value  extravagant  claims 
have  been  made,  when  the  very  statements  in  regard  to  its 
composition  should  have  condemned  it. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  March  16,  1907.) 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  71 

A   Further  Report   on  the   Digestive   Power   of   Lactopeptine. 

Dr.  Charles  H.  Miller,  assistant  professor  of  pharmacology, 
Northwestern  University  Medical  School,  has  voluntarily  con- 
ducted some  experiments  for  the  purpose  of  learning  whether 
or  not  Lactopeptine  Powder  is  effective  either  as  an  amylolytic 
or  a  proteolytic  ferment.  From  his  experiments  he  concluded: 

"Lactopeptine  is  apparently  equivalent  in  proteolytic  power 
to  the  Pepsinum  Saccharatum  of  the  U.  S.  P.,  1890,  which  was 
a  10  per  cent,  preparation,  and  like  it,  Lactopeptine  is  only 
active  in  acid  media.  It  is  devoid  of  active  enzymes  other 
than  the  pepsin,  and  while  the  powder  is  feebly  acid  in  reac- 
tion, no  activity  could  be  shown  when  water  was  the  medium 
employed." — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March 
23,  1907.) 

MEAT   AND   BEEF   JUICES* 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  following  was  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  subcom- 
mittee : 

To  the  Council:  While  meat  extracts  contain  only 
traces  of  coagulable  proteids  and  have  little  food 
value,1  meat  juices  are  prepared  by  a  process  which 
ensures  the  presence  in  the  finished  product  of  considerable 
quantities  of  coagulable  proteids  and  they  therefore  have 
considerable  value  as  foods.  Many  preparations  which 
are  sold  as  beef  juices  or  meat  juices  have  no  right  to 
these  designations.  Since  the  public  and  physicians  are 
likely  to  be  misled  by  the  names  given  to  these  products 
and  by  the  false  claims  which  are  made  for  them  as  foods 
and  depend  on  them  in  the  nourishment  of  the  sick,  it  is 
important  that  their  composition  and  their  value  as  foods 
should  be  known. 

In  the  following  report  is  presented  the  results  of 
an  examination  of  some  of  the  commercial  products 
found  on  the  American  market.  The  report  shows 
that  Wyeth's  Beef  Juice  (John  Wyeth  &  Bro.,  Philadel- 
phia), Bovinine  (The  Bovinine  Co.,  New  York),  Carnine 
(Carnine  Co.,  Fougera  &  Co.,  New  York),  and  Valentine's 
Meat  Juice  (M.  J.  Valentine,  Richmond,  Va.)  are  sold 
under  names  which  are  incorrect,  that  their  composition  is 
not  correctly  stated  by  the  manufacturers  and  that  false 
and  misleading  statements  are  made  in  regard  to  their 
value  as  food. 

It  is  recommended  that  the  products  named  be  refused 
recognition  for  conflict  with  rules  1,  6  and  8.  Since  these 
preparations  are  typical  of  many  others  on  the  market, 
and  as  their  use  is  a  menace  to  the  public  health  it  is 
recommended  that  the  report  be  published. 

This  report  was  adopted  by  the  Council. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Beef  or  meat  juices  are  clearly  to  be  distinguished  from  beef 
or  meat  extracts.  The  word  "juice"  applies  solely  to  the  fluid 

*  See  index  for  related  articles. 


72  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

portion  remaining  in  fresh  meat  after  proper  cooling  and 
storing  and  may  be  obtained  by  pressure  or  diffusion  with  or 
without  a  low  degree  of  heat.  Under  heavy  pressure  freshly 
chopped  meat  will  yield  from  25  per  cent,  to  40  per  cent,  of  a 
thick  reddish  juice  and  if  the  meat  is  previously  frozen  or 
heated  to  60°  C.,  as  much  as  50  per  cent,  may  be  obtained. 
This  gives  some  idea  as  to  the  probable  cost  of  preparing  beef 
-juice  at  home.  The  chief  characteristics  of  meat  juice  are 
the  presence  of  a  considerable  proportion  of  coagulable  protein 
and  a  low  content  of  meat  bases.  That  above  represents  the 
nature  of  these  commodities  as  usually  understood  by  the 
medical  profession,  is  clearly  shown  by  this  quotation:1 

"One  or  two  teaspoonfuls  of  this  (meat  juice)  are  added  to 
a  teacupful  of  cold  or  warm  water,  which,  however,  must  not 
be  boiling,  or  otherwise  'the  albumin  would  be  coagulated,  but 
it  may,  however,  be  sufficiently  warm  to  drink  comfortably." 

Beef  juice  is  considered  by  some  physicians  of  much  dietetic 
service  and  believed  to  represent  liquid  food  in  concentrated 
form.  W.  0.  Atwater,2  relative  to  this  product,  says: 

"Beef  juice  obtained  from  the  best  steak  which  has  been 
merely  warmed  through  over  the  coals  and  then  entirely  de- 
prived of  soluble  substance  by  a  screw  press,  is  undoubtedly 
the  most  concentrated  of  the  liquid  foods." 

The  latter  authority  gives  a  number  of  analyses  of  beef 
juices  prepared  under  known  conditions. 

DEFINITION  OF  MEAT  JUICE 

Meat  juice  is  denned  by  the  standards  committee  of  the 
Association  of  Official  Agricultural  Chemists  as  the  fluid  por- 
tion of  muscle  fiber  obtained  by  pressure  or  otherwise,  and 
may  be  concentrated  by  evaporation  at  a  temperature  below 
the  coagulating  point  of  the  soluble  protein.  The  solids  con- 
tain not  more  than  15  per  cent,  of  ash,  not  more  than  2.5  per 
cent,  of  sodium  chlorSd  (calculated  from  the  total  chlorin 
present),  not  more  than  4  nor  less  than  2  per  cent,  of  phos- 
phoric acid  (P2O8),  and  not  less  than  12  per  cent,  of  nitrogen. 
The  nitrogenous  bodies  contain  not  less  than  35  per  cent,  of 
coagulable  proteins  and  not  more  than  40  per  cent,  of  meat 


Meat  juices  of  commerce  are  supposed  to  be  made  by  sub- 
jecting properly  prepared  meat  to  heavy  pressure  with  sub- 
sequent concentration  of  the  juice  in  vacuo  at  a  low  tem- 
perature. The  latter  is  necessary  because  if  the  temperature 
is  raised  to  any  material  extent  the  valuable  coagulable,  sol- 
uble proteins  referred  to  above,  are  precipitated  and  lost.  In 
order  to  establish  a  basis  of  comparison  relative  to  the  com- 

1.  Brunton,  Sir  Lauder :  "Disorders  of  Assimilation,  Digestion, 
etc.,"  p.  183. 

2.  Bull.    No.    21,    U.    S.    Dopt.    Agricult.,    Office   of    Experiment 
Stations. 


73 

position  of  natural  raw  beef  juice  a  number  of  samples  were 
prepared  under  known  conditions  and  submitted  to  analysis. 
The  results  contained  in  the  subjoined  table  clearly  show  that 
meat  juices  made  under  known  conditions  vary  according  to 
the  mode  of  preparation,  but  it  is  evident  that  practically  one- 
half  of  the  nitrogen  is  present  as  coagulable  protein. 

FOOD  VALUES 

In  order  to  arrive  at  the  food  value  of  any  commodity  it  is 
necessary  to  consider  its  chemical  composition,  available  poten- 
tial energy,  absorbability,  etc.  On  referring  to  the  analytical 
table  it  will  be  found  that  the  amount  of  inorganic  material 
in  meat  juices  Nos.  7  and  10  is  unduly  high.  It  appears  that 
sodium  chlorid,  per  se,  has  been  added  to  both  Bovinine  and 
Wyeth's  Beef  Juice  probably  as  a  preservative  in  the  latter 
and  for  condimental  purposes  in  the  former.  The  relative  and 
absolute  proportions  of  phosphatic  material  in  both  products  is 
excessive.  The  other  constituents  present  in  the  ash  are  those 
usually  found  in  meat  products. 

The  amount  of  sugar  and  glycerin  in  Gamine  is  interesting. 
These  agents  may  be  added  for  preserving  purposes  but  the 
resulting  product,  on  account  of  its  syrupy  appearance,  leads 
to  the  belief  and  is  so  represented,  that  it  is  a  concentrated 
food.  Glycerin  is  also  present  in  Bovinine  and  Valentine's  meat 
juice.  Bovinine  in  addition  contains  about  8  per  cent,  alcohol. 

The  total  nitrogen  content  of  the  trade  products  excepting 
Carnine,  is  greater  than  the  amount  of  nitrogen  present  in 
meat  juices  proper,  but  the  relative  amount  of  nitrogen  present 
as  coagulable  protein — the  valuable  part  of  meat  juice — is 
much  greater  in  the  latter.  In  fact,  the  amount  of  coagulable 
protein  present  in  Valentine's  Meat  Juice  may  be  considered 
nil,  which  indicates  that  an  unduly  high  temperature  is  used 
in  its  preparation.  In  this  connection  it  should  also  be  noted 
that  even  a  moderate  elevation  of  temperature  influences  the 
chemical  composition  of  meat  juices.  For  example,  the  coag- 
ulable matter  present  in  Nos.  3,  4  and  5,  is  approximately 
one-half  that  present  in  Nos.  1  and  2,  which  appears  to  indi- 
cate that  the  best  product  can  be  made  without  the  use  of  any 
heat  whatever.  Several  of  the  trade  products,  namely  Nos. 
7,  8  and  9,  contain  about  as  much  coagulable  material  as  meat 
juice  made  by  heating  beef  to  60  C.  According  to  the  formula 
appearing  in  a  circular  of  the  Bovinine  Company,  a  part  of 
the  coagulable  matter  is  present  in  the  form  of  egg  albumin, 
but  the  company  claims  egg  albumin  is  not  used  at  present. 
In  the  case  of  Carnine,  the  coagulable  matter  appears  to  be 
introduced  by  the  use  of  blood  itself.  The  exact  nature  of 
the  coagulable  protein  matter  in  Wyeth's  Beef  Juice  has  not 
been  ascertained.  It  is  well-known  to  manufacturers  and 
physiologic  chemists  that  it  is  practically  impossible  to  manu- 
facture a  genuine  meat  juice  possessing  a  reasonable  amount 
of  coagulable  proteins,  which  is  stable  without  a  preservative. 


74  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFOHM 

Meat  juices,  in  addition  to  the  coagulable  protein  material, 
contain  other  protein  bodies  such  as  albumoses  and  pep'tones. 
These  bodies  are  largely  formed  from  the  original  protein 
bodies  present  in  the  meat  juice  during  the  process  of  manu- 
facture. They  are  highly  nutritious  and  largely  and  readily 
absorbed  from  the  alimentary  canal  but  the  amount  of  these 
bodies  present  in  the  trade  products  is  relatively  small  ex- 
cepting in  Bovinine,  which  is  not  a  meat  juice,  particularly 
when  the  high  prices  are  considered. 

A  considerable  proportion  of  the  nitrogenous  matter  con- 
tained in  Valentine's  and  Wyeth's  products  is  present  in  the 
form  of  amino  bodies  frequently  included  in  the  general  term, 
"extractives."  These  bodies  may  be  oxidized  in  the  body  and 
thus  supply  heat  in  a  manner  similar  to  alcohol,  but  it  should 
be  remembered  that  there  still  appears  to  be  a  wide  difference 
of  opinion  among  various  observers  on  this  point.  Some 
appear  to  be  of  the  opinion  that  the  amino  bodies  are  devoid 
of  food  value  in  that  these  bodies  appear  in  the  urine  prac- 
tically unchanged.  It  would,  therefore,  appear  that  the  value 
of  the  amino  bodies  is  largely  of  a  stimulant  character. 

The  food  value  of  meat  juices,  therefore,  resides  largely,  if 
not  solely,  in  the  coagulable  and  other  protein  material  pres- 
ent. Comparing  the  calorific  value  or  potential  energy  avail- 
able in  meat  juices  proper  on  this  basis  with  that  present  in 
the  commercial  products,  excluding  Bovinine,  it  will  be  seen 
that  on  the  average  the  genuine  meat  juices— that  is,  those 
made  by  pressure,  direct  from  the  meat  itself  as  wanted — are 
much  superior  to  the  commercial  products,  notwithstanding  the 
marked  concentration  in  some  cases.  The  calories  given  in  the 
accompanying  table  do  not  include  sugar,  alcohol  or  any  other 
added  material  of  this  character. 

WYETH'S  BEEF  JUICE 

"Wyeth's  Beef  Juice"  is  not  a  true  beef  juice,  but  resem- 
bles rather  a  diluted  meat  extract.  It  contains  much  added 
inorganic  matter,  is  low  in  coagulable  proteins,  and  con- 
sidering the  degree  of  concentration,  relatively  deficient  in 
nutritive  value.  Some  of  the  claims  contained  in  the  circular 
accompanying  this  preparation,  in  view  of  its  composition  set 
forth  above,  may  be  of  interest: 

"Wyeth's  Beef  Juice  ,  containing  two  fluid  ounces  and 

representing  three  pounds  of  prime  lean  beef,     .     .     ." 

"...  beef  extracts  made  by  the  Lieblg  process  are  utterly 
devoid  of  the  valuable  and  nutritious  albuminous  constituents  of 
meat,  .  .  ." 

[Wyeth's  Beef  Juice]  "should  not  be  compared  with  ordinary  beef 
extract,  .  .  ." 

BOVININE 

Bovinine,  advertised  as  a  "condensed  beef  juice  prepared  by 
a  cold  process"  is  a  mixture  of  alcohol,  glycerin,  added  sodium 
chlorid,  and  apparently  some  form  of  defibrinated  blood.  Ac- 
cording to  the  manufacturer's  literature  egg  albumin  was  used 


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70  PROPAGANDA     l-'nit     lil-:i-'OKM 

formerly  but  this  ingredient  is  said  to  be  no  longer  employed. 
It  is  not  a  meat  juice  in  any  sense  of  the  word.  Numerous 
misrepresentations  will  be  found  on  the  label  and  in  the 
literature  of  Bovinine,  of  which  the  following  are  typical: 

"The  blood  of  selected  steers  prepared  by  a  cold  process,  furnish- 
ing a  perfect  food,  free  from  insoluble  elements." 

"The  rapidity  with  which  Bovinine  Is  absorbed  and  assimilated  In 
the  stomach  .  .  ." 

"It  supplies  complete  nutrition  to  the  patient." 

"Bovinine  contains  all  the  elements  of  the  animal,  vegetable  and 
mineral  kingdoms  for  the  production  of  new  blood  with  great 
rapidity.  Its  principal  constituents  have  been  selected  with  a 
view  to  furnish  the  largest  amount  of  nutriment  in  the  most  con- 
densed form  and  all  the  resources  of  modern  chemical  analysis 
have  been  brought  to  bear  on  this  important  problem." 

A  series  of  experiments  carried  out  with  dogs  under  anes- 
thesia, by  injecting  Bovinine  into  the  stomach,  the  pyloric  end 
of  which  was  ligated,  shows  that  Bovinine  is  not  readily  ab- 
sorbed and  assimilated  by  the  stomach  as  claimed.  The 
amount  of  protein  material  found  in  the  stomach  at  the  end 
of  one-half  hour  to  one  hour  and  a  quarter  was  practically 
equal  to  the  amount  introduced  by  the  Bovinine. 

It  is  also  represented  that  Bovinine  is  of  great  service  in 
case  of  an  irritable  stomach.  This  is  not  borne  out  by  ex- 
periment. Bovinine  fed  to  dogs  by  the  mouth,  either  alone 
or  mixed  with  food,  induced  vomiting,  which  was  less  marked 
when  Bovinine  was  given  with  the  regular  diet.  An  examina- 
tion of  the  urine  of  these  animals  showed  a  marked  diminu- 
tion of  the  amount  of  indican,  while  the  ethereal  sulphates 
were  enormously  increased,  both  absolutely  and  relatively, 
when  Bovinine  was  given.  Experiments  on  rabbits  have  shown 
that  Bovinine  injected  into  the  peritoneal  cavity  was  invar- 
iably followed  by  large  quantities  of  albumin  in  the  urine, 
which  persisted  for  from  24  to  48  hours.  Thirty  to  50  c.c.  per 
kilo  given  by  mouth  daily  caused  emaciation  and  weakness;  in 
some  cases,  irritation  of  the  gastrointestinal  canal,  with  death 
of  the  animal  in  from  7  to  12  days. 

CAEN  INK 

Carnine  is  a  French  preparation  imported  into  the  United 
States  by  Fougera  &  Co.,  of  New  York  City.  In  physical  ap- 
pearance it  looks  like  highly  concentrated  food,  but  analysis 
shows  that  it  consists  of  a  small  proportion  of  defibrinated 
blood  dissolved  in  a  mixture  of  syrup  and  glycerol,  the  whole 
agreeably  flavored.  It  is  represented  as  a  "juice  of  rare 
meat,  prepared  by  cold  process.  Each  tablespoonful  represents 
100  gm.  of  raw  meat,  or  3%  ounces."  It  is  clear  that  Carnine 
is  not  a  meat  juice  in  any  sense  of  the  word. 

VALENTINE'S  MEAT  JUICE 

Valentine's  Meat  Juice  resembles  in  physical  appearance 
taste,  odor  and  by  chemical  analysis  a  diluted  meat  extract. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  77 

The  nutritive  value  of  meat  extracts  is  virtually  nil,  as  is 
well-known  by  the  medical  profession.  Notwithstanding  the 
composition  of  Valentine's  Meat  Juice  and  the  fact  that  beef 
extract  respresents  little  nutritive  value,  the  manufacturer 
makes  the  following  misleading  representations: 

"The  two-ounce  oval  bottle,  adopted  for  the  Meat  Juice  contains 
the  concentrated  juice  of  four  pounds  of  the  best  beef,  exclusive  of 
fat ;  or  the  condensed  essence  of  one  and  a  half  pints  of  pure 
liquid  juice  which  is  obtained  from  the  flesh  of  beef." 

"The  use  of  hot  water  with  the  Meat  Juice  changes  its  character 
and  impairs  its  value."  [Italics  In  original. — Ed.] 

The  company  must  certainly  be  aware  of  the  fact  that  ita 
product  contains  little,  if  any,  coagulable  proteids. 

CONCLUSIONS 

In  conclusion;  neither  Bovinine  nor  Carnine  is  a  meat  juice, 
the  former  is  anything  but  palatable  and  the  latter  soon 
cloys.  "Valentine's  Meat  Juice"  and  "Wyeth's  Beef  Juice"  are 
virtually  diluted  meat  extracts  which  are  known  to  possess 
little  food  value.  A  physician  depending  on  any  of  the  fore- 
going products  to  supply  material  nourishment,  in  case  of 
serious  illness,  is  deceiving  himself,  starving  his  patients,  and 
may  be  lessening  their  chances  for  recovery.  If  a  patient 
recovers  while  using  these  commodities,  it  is  certainly  not  due 
to  the  food  value  contained  in  them. — (From  The  Journal  A. 
M.  A.,  Nov.  20,  1909.) 


MEDICINAL     FOODS 

A  report,  of  which  the  following  is  an  abstract,  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  by  the  sub- 
committee which  examined  the  medicinal  foods: 

In  order  to  determine  the  food  value  of  any  food 
product  it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  following 
points:  Chemical  composition;  available  potential 
energy;  absorbability  and  cost.  No  attempt  is  made 
in  this  article  to  discuss  each  of  these  features  sepa- 
rately, but  they  are  utilized  as  required. 

The  ingredients  on  which  the  food  value  of  any  arti- 
cle of  food  depends  are  the  proteid  substances,  carbo- 
hydrates, fats,  certain  inorganic  bodies  and — under 
certain  conditions — alcohol.  The  amount  of  each  of 
these  present  in  a  preparation  must  be  established  by 
chemical  analysis.  From  the  results  thus  obtained  it 
is  possible  to  calculate  the  potential  energy  repre- 
sented by  a  given  food  product.  In  this  report  the 
potential  or  food  value  is  expressed  in  the  large  or 
kilocalorie,  that  is,  the  amount  of  heat  required  to 
raise  the  temperature  of  one  kilogram  of  water  one 
degree  centigrade. 

The  factors  employed  in  this  report  for  expressing 
in  calories  the  actual  amount  of  energy  utilized  by 


78  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

the  system  are  4.8  for  proteid  substances,  4.1  for 
carbohydrates,  and  9.2  for  fats. 

The  accompanying  table  embodies  the  results 
obtained  by  submitting  all  the  well-known  so-called 
"predigested  foods"  to  chemical  examination.  The 
table  as  published  in  THE  JOTJBNAL  included  columns 
on:  Price  of  bottle,  number  of  cubic  centimeters  in 
a  bottle,  cost  per  500  cubic  centimeters,  reaction,  spe- 
cific gravity,  percentage  of  non-volatile  residue,  ash, 
percentage  of  nitrogen,  calories  as  proteids  in  500 
grams,  carbohydrates  before  inversion,  alcohol  by  vol- 
ume, average  recommended  adult  dose  per  diem  in 
cubic  centimeters,  cost  per  diem  to  supply  1,430  cal- 
ories. These  columns  were  eliminated  from  this 
abstract,  as  they  were  unessential,  so  far  as  the  prac- 
tical value  of  the  article  is  concerned.  In  most  cases 
two  samples  of  the  same  brand  were  purchased  at  an 
interval  of  about  six  months.  All  the  analyses  were 
made  before  Jan.  1,  1907.  Some  of  the  preparations 
contain  much  glycerin  which  does  not,  so  far  as 
known  at  present,  possess  any  recognized  food  value, 
although  there  are  a  number  of  experiments  on  record 
to  indicate  that  it  influences  metabolism. 

The  percentage  of  nitrogen  accredited  to  each  of 
these  products  represents  the  total  amount  of  nitro- 
gen, irrespective  of  the  nature  of  the  nitrogenous  sub- 
stances, although  some  of  this  nitrogen  has  no  nutri- 
tive value. 

By  multiplying  the  percentage  of  nitrogen  found  by 
the  factor  6.25  we  obtain  the  percentage  of  nitrogen- 
ous matter  (proteids)  contained  in  the  various  prepa- 
rations. By  multiplying  the  number  of  grams  of 
nitrogenous  matter  present  in  500  grams  of  material 
by  the  factor  4.8  it  is  found  that  the  potential  energy 
available  by  the  nitrogenous  matter  varies  from  10.3 
calories  to  153.1  calories.  Five  hundred  grams  of  the 
material  is  made  the  basis  of  calculation,  because  it 
approximates  a  pint,  the  amount  usually  believed  to 
be  present  in  the  various  trade  packages,  and  because 
it  affords  a  ready  basis  of  calculation. 

The  carbohydrates  are  represented  by  cane  sugar, 
maltose,  dextrin  and  invert  sugar.  Lactose  is  prob- 
ably also  present  in  some,  but  it  is  impossible  to  estab- 
lish this.  By  multiplying  the  number  of  grams  of  car- 
bohydrates present  in  500  grams  of  the  foods  by  the 
factor  4.1  we  obtain  the  potential  energy  represented 
by  the  carbohydrate,  which  varies  from  11.3  to  319.2 
calories.  The  total  calorific  value  of  both  proteids 
and  carbohydrates  ranges  from  54.7  to  397.5  calories. 
The  total  food  value  of  an  equal  quantity  of  milk, 
including  fat,  approximates  360  calories. 

The  value  of  alcohol  as  a  food  product  pure  and 
simple  in  disease  is,  however,  an  open  question.  There 
is  no  doubt,  whatever,  but  that  it  acts  to  a  certain 
degree  as  a  food  even  here,  not  as  a  tissue  builder,  but 


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80  PROPAGANDA     FOR    REFORM 

as  a  saver  of  fat  and  carbohydrate  material,  and  in 
order  to  give  the  preparations  in  question  full  value 
as  food  products,  the  calories,  represented  by  the  alco- 
hol, are  credited  to  each  preparation,  as  are  the  pro- 
teids  and  carbohydrates.  The  factor  usually  recog- 
nized for  expressing  the  calorific  value  of  alcohol  is  7. 
By  multiplying  the  number  of  grams  of  alcohol  pre,s- 
ent  in  500  grams  of  material  by  7,  the  number  of 
calories  varies  from  420  to  658. 

On  looking  over  the  literature  and  printed  matter 
distributed  by  some  manufacturers,  the  physician  is 
frequently  left  under  the  impression  that  these  prepa- 
rations contain  all  the  essential  constituents  necessary 
for.  maintaining  normal  nutrition  of  the  body,  as  is 
clearly  shown  by  the  following  quotation:  "Contains 
sufficient  nutritive  material  to  maintain  normal  nutri- 
tion of  the  body,  a  valuable  food  in  typhoid  fever, 
pneumonia,  tuberculosis,  .  .  .  and  all  the  condi- 
tions of  the  system  associated  with  enfeebled  diges- 
tion and  malnutrition." 

In  order  to  show  the  insidiousness  of  such  repre- 
sentations it  is  only  necessary  to  give  the  actual  food 
value  of  the  average  daily  dose  (the  average  amount 
to  be  taken  for  twenty-four  hours)  recommended  by 
the  various  manufacturers  for  their  products.  The 
average  adult  daily  dose  recommended  varies  from  50 
to  150  c.c.  The  total  available  calories  per  daily  dose 
based  on  the  proteid  and  carbohydrate  bodies  varies 
from  9.8  to  110.5.  Adding  to  these  figures  the  amount 
of  energy  represented  by  the  alcohol,  in  each  case,  the 
total  available  calories  varies  from  55.0  to  299.5.  The 
number  of  calories  per  diem  in  sickness  should  not 
fall  much  below  1,500  during  twenty-four  hours. 

In  order  to  get  a  fair  conception  of  the  actual  food 
value  of  these  various  preparations,  it  is  desirable  to 
make  some  comparison  which  can  be  readily  compre- 
hended by  every  physician.  The  amount  of  good  milk 
necessary  each  twenty-four  hours  to  sustain  the  vital- 
ity of  a  patient  during  a  serious  illness  is  not  less 
than  64  ounces,  or  approximately  2,000  c.c.  The  food 
value  in  calories  represented  by  this  amount  of  good 
milk  may  be  placed  at  1,430.  'This  includes  not  only 
the  proteid  and  carbohydrate  matter,  but  the  fat  as 
well.  By  comparing  this  available  potential  energy 
with  the  total  energy  available  in  the  predigestcd 
foods  under  consideration,  it  can  be  readily  seen  that 
if  a  physician  depends  on  the  representations  made  by 
some  of  the  manufacturers,  and  feeds  his  patient 
accordingly,  he  is  resorting  to  a  starvation  diet.  The 
largest  number  of  available  calories,  including  alcohol, 
present  in  any  of  the  recommended  daily  doses,  is  less 
than  one-fifth  of  the  number  of  calories  represented 
by  2,000  c.c.  of  milk;  and  the  calories  represented  by 
the  daily  done  of  the  preparation  poorest  in  food  prod- 
ucts is  only  one-twenty-fifth  of  the  amount  present  in 
2,000  c.c.  of  milk.  These  figures  tell  their  own  story. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  81 

.Making  2,000  c.c.  of  milk  the  basis  of  calculation, 
and  estimating  the  amount  of  the  various  prepara- 
tions required  to  yield  this  number  of  calories,  it  is 
found  that  the  quantity  to  be  administered  daily  to 
supply  1,430  calories,  including  alcohol,  varies  from 
716.2  to  1,506.2  c.c.  In  many  cases  the  amount  of 
alcohol  exhibited  by  these  quantities  would  keep  the 
patient  in  an  alcoholic  stupor  continually.  The  cost 
necessary  to  supply  this  energy  varies  from  $1.48 
down  to  $3.39.  Compare  these  prices  with  the  cost  of 
two  quarts  of  milk.  Is  further  comment  necessary? 

It  is  urged  in  justification  of  the  use  of  prepara- 
tions of  this  class  that  they  contain  constituents  not 
found  in  our  ordinary  foods  and  in  a  more  perfectly 
assimilable  condition.  As  pointed  out  above,  these 
so-called  predigested  foods  contain  no  fats;  the  carbo- 
hydrates in  them^  are  the  ordinary  sugars  present  in 
our  common  foods,  while  the  proteins  belong  to  the 
peptone  or  albumose  class.  It  is  for  these  latter  that 
the  greatest  claims  are  made,  but  even  here  no  value 
can  be  pointed  out  not  found  in  whey,  peptonized  full 
milk  or  peptonized  skimmed  milk. 

There  is  likewise  another  point  of  considerable 
importance  to  consider  in  this  connection.  The  terms 
peptone  and  albumose  include  bodies  of  very  uncertain 
composition,  and  their  suitableness  as  food  substances 
depends  largely  on  how  they  are  prepared.  Animal 
experiments  have  shown  that  nitrogen  equilibrium 
may  be  maintained,  for  a  time  at  least,  by  use  of  enzy- 
mic  hydrolytic  products  of  the  proteins,  even  where 
the  hydrolysis  has  been  carried  far  beyond  the  so- 
called  peptone  stage,  but  it  appears  to  be  likewise  true 
that  the  mixtures  secured  by  acid  or  high  tempera- 
ture steam  hydrolysis  have  no  such  value.  Some  of 
these,  indeed,  may  exhibit  a  toxic  behavior.  This  is 
true  in  particular  of -some  of  the  commercial  varieties 
of  peptone,  and  until  more  is  known  of  the  source  of 
the  bodies  of  protein  character  employed  in  the  make- 
up of  these  "predigested"  mixtures  it  is  unwise  to 
assume  anything  concerning  the  food  value  of  the 
nitrogen  compounds  found  in  them  by  analysis  or 
even  to  dignify  them  by  the  name  of  foods. — 
(Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  11, 
1907.) 

MIGRAININ 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The    Council,    having    voted    to    rescind    the    acceptance    of 
Migrainin  and  to  omit  it  from  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies 
(Appendix),  directed  publication  of  the  report  given  below. 
W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

SUPPLEMENTAL   REPORT   ON   MIQEAINLN 

To  the  Council: — Koechl  &  Co.,  American  agents  for  Mi- 
grainin (Meister  Lucius  &  Bruning)  asserted  that  this  prepara- 


82  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

tion  was  a  mixture  of  antipyrin  85  parts,  caffein  9  parts  and 
citric  acid  6  parts.  The  experiments  of  F.  Zernik  (Apoth.-Ztg., 
1906,  p.  686),  however,  showed  that  Migrainin  consisted  of 
antipyrin  90.88  parts,  caffein  8.4  parts  and  citric  acid  0.45 
parts.  When  the  attention  of  Koechl  &  Co.  was  called  to  this 
they  informed  the  Council,  on  June  20,  1907,  that  the  formula 
they  gave  was  given  them  direct  by  the  manufacturers  abroad 
and  that  they,  Koechl  &  Co.,  did  not  question  its  accuracy. 
They,  however,  offered  to  "write  abroad  and  have  the  manu- 
facturers confirm  the  formula  as  given."  On  July  23,  1907, 
Koechl  &  Co.  wrote  the  secretary  of  the  Council  that  the  man- 
ufacturers had  informed  them  that  Migrainin  contains  90  per 
cent,  antipyrin  and  9.1  per  cent,  caffein  citrate.  This  being  an 
acknowledgment  that  the  former  statement  submitted  was 
incorrect,  the  Council  voted  that  the  approval  of  Migrainin 
should  be  reconsidered.  Examination  of  the  product,  there- 
fore, was  taken  up  in  the  Association's  laboratory  and  an 
original  specimen,  purchased  in  Chicago,  was  found  to  con- 
tain moisture  0.7  per  cent.,  antipyrin  90.93  per  cent.,  and  in- 
stead of  caffein  citrate  9.1  per  cent.,  citric  acid  0.51  per  cent., 
caffein  8.53  per  cent.  This  analysis  agreed  essentially  with 
the  composition  of  Migrainin  as  found  by  Zernik. 

While  the  discrepancies  between  the  statement  of  the  firm 
and  the  facts  are  perhaps  not  great,  nevertheless  they  show 
that  even  the  formula  last  given  is  incorrect,  and  that  the 
statements  of  Koechl  &  Co.,  while  no  doubt  made  in  good 
faith,  were  in  this  instance  unreliable. 

In  recent  advertising  matter  issued  by  Koechl  &  Co., 
"phenozon-caffein  citrate"  is  given  as  a  synonym  for  Mi- 
grainin, one  circular  stating  that  "Migrainin  is  phenozon- 
caffein  citrate,"  etc.  In  the  same  circular  the  following  also 
appears:  "In  the  treatment  of  migraine  with  phenacetin  or 
antipyrin,  the  attack  is  delayed,  while  with  Migrainin  it  is 
usually  permanently  stayed."  This  will,  no  doubt,  lead  phy- 
sicians to  infer  that  Migrainin  is  not  a  mixture  of  antipyrin 
and  caffein  citrate,  but  that  it  is  some  new  compound.  While 
the  firm  disclaims  any  intention  to  mislead,  it  does  not  offer 
to  withdraw  or  modify  this  circular.  It  is  recommended, 
therefore,  that  the  approval  of  Migrainin  be  rescinded  and 
that  it  be  omitted  from  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  June  5,  1909.) 


OXYCHLORINE 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

The  following  report  on  Oxychlorine  has  been  submitted  to 
the  Council  by  the  subcommittee  to  which  it  was  assigned: 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — Your  sub- 
committee submits  the  following  report:  The  Oxychlorine 
Chemical  Company,  1326  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago,  states  in 
its  advertising  literature  that: 

"Chemically,  Oxychlorine  is  the  tetraborate  of  sodium 
and  potassium  combined  with  oxychlorid  of  boron,  thus: 
6  (NaKB407)BOCl3." 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  83 

Analysis  of  Oxychlorine  showed: 

Potassium     12.26  per  cent. 

Sodium    8.20  per  cent. 

Chloric   acid — CLOS    25.32  per  cent. 

Nitric   acid— NO3    21.70  per  cent. 

Boric  acid  -anhydrid — B2O3 18.63  per  cent. 

Water,  calculated   13.29  per  cent. 

Thus,  Oxychlorine  is  not  a  definite  chemical  substance  of 
the  composition  claimed,  but  instead  is  a  mixture  of  alkali 
chlorate  and  nitrate  with  boric  acid.  Assuming  that  the  chlo- 
rate is  present  as  potassium  chlorate  and  the  nitrate  as  so- 
dium nitrate,  the  analysis  above  quoted  corresponds  to  a  mix- 
ture approximately  as  follows: 

Potassium   chlorate    37.19 

Sodium  nitrate   29.76 

Sodium  and  potassium  tertraborate   2.18 

Boric  acid   30.52 

Undetermined 0.35 


100.00 

Your  committee  recommends  that  Oxychlorine  be  not  ap- 
proved and  that  this  report  be  published. 

The  report  of  the  subcommittee  was  adopted  by  the  Council, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  recommendation  is  published  here 
with.  W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

In  commenting  on  the  above  report  it  is  hardly  necessary  to 
call  attention  to  the  palpable  untruthfulness  of  the  furnished 
formula  or  its  lack  of  correspondence  to  the  real  com- 
position of  the  preparation,  to  the  imposing  claims  made  by 
its  pseudo-scientific  exploiters  or  the  absurdities,  from  a 
chemical  standpoint,  of  the  statements  made  in  their  litera- 
ture. These  features  are  more  or  less  common  to  all  nostrums. 
The  physician  who  prescribes  or  uses  Oxychlorine  under  the 
impression  that  he  is  getting  a  definite  and  unique  chemical 
compound  described  as  tetraborate  of  sodium  and  potassium 
combined  with  oxychlorid  of  boron  is,  according  to  our  chem- 
ists, getting  simply  a  mixture  of  potassium  chlorate,  sodium 
nitrate  (or,  perhaps,  sodium  chlorate  and  potassium  nitrate), 
and  boric  acid  in  about  equal  amounts.  More  than  one-third 
of  this  mixture  is  potassium  (or  sodium)  chlorate,  drugs  by 
no  means  harmless. 

In  order  that  there  may  be  no  suspicion  of  unfairness  to  the 
promoters  of  the  preparation,  we  quote  from  one  of  the  adver- 
tising circulars  sent  out  by  the  Oxychlorine  Company: 

"Oxychlorine  owes  its  recognition  as  a  therapeutic  agent 
to  its  six  principal  qualities : 

"1.  It  will  oxygenate  the  blood  at  the  seat  of  applica- 
tion, maintain  nutrition  and  heal  an  uninfected  solution 


cing 


of  continuity  of  first  intention  without  scar  formation. 

"2.  It   will   disorganize   all    pus   and   ferment-produ( 
micro-organisms,  their  toxins,  ferments  and  ptomains. 

"3.  It  will  restore  an  inflamed  mucous  membrane  to  its 
normal  condition,  except  where  the  membrane  Is  sclerosed 
or  atrophied. 

"4.  It  will  destroy  pathogenic  micro-organisms  and  their 
toxins  in  the  blood  current. 


84  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

"5.  It  will  stimulate  the  blood  to  absorb  more  oxygen  in 
the  lungs  than  it  at  the  time  carries.  [We  do  not  know 
what  this  means ;  perhaps  the  Oxycblorine  Company  does.  ] 

"6.  It  is  absolutely  harmless  to  the  tissues  and  will  not 
destroy  a  living  cell." 

Surely  these  people  must  have  access  to  physiologic  and 
chemical  authorities  not  found  in  modern  medical  libraries,  01 
else  their  esoteric  reseaches  into  the  mysteries  of  life  must 
have  carried  them  far  beyond  the  ken  of  our  most  advanced 
workers  along  these  lines.  The  scientific  world  would  receive 
with  great  interest  information  as  to  how  a  mixture  of  po- 
potassiuin  chlorate,  sodium  nitrate  and  boric  acid  oxygenates 
blood,  maintains  nutrition  and  causes  healing  without  scar 
formation.  A  mixture  which  will  destroy  micro-organisms 
and  yet  will  not  destroy  a  living  cell  certainly  shows  a  fine 
sense  of  selection  and  discrimination  not  heretofore  expected 
of  a  combination  of  chemicals  or  of  a  chemical  compound. 
How  like  the  wonderful  elixir  of  medieval  times,  which  was 
to  the  Christian  a  tonic  and  to  the  heathen  a  poison! 

Here  is  another  claim  made  for  this  nostrum: 

"Two  or  three  rectal  injections  of  a  one  or  two  per  cent, 
solution  of  Oxychlorine  and  ten  grain  doses  given  six  to 
eight  times  per  day  is  the  best  and  most  reliable  treat- 
ment for  typhoid  fever." 

If  eighty  grains  of  Oxychlorine  contain  thirty  grains  of  po- 
tassium chlorate,  three  rectal  injections  each  consisting  of  one 
pint  of  2  per  cent,  solution,  would  contain  approximately  160 
grains  of  potassium  chlorate.  Such  an  injection  might  prove 
decidedly  dangerous,  especially  when  used  by  one  ignorant  of 
its  true  composition.  However,  the  physician,  not  the  pro- 
moters, bears  the  responsibility. 

Oxychlorine  sells  at  $3.50  a  pound;  the  ingredients  can  be 
obtained  for  about  44  cents  a  pound.  Perhaps  the  margin  of 
profit  is  intended  as  a  reward  due  the  promoters  for  the  pro- 
found physiologic  discoveries  announced  in  their  reading 
matter. — (From  the  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  6,  1909.) 


PANTOPON* 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

A  referee  of  the  Council  reported  that  Pantopon  was  not 
eligible  for  inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  and 
recommended  that  the  reasons  for  its  rejection  be  published. 
The  Council  voted  to  adopt  this  recommendation  and  in  accord- 
ance with  its  regular  procedure  the  facts  were  reported  to  the 
manufacturers  before  publication.  The  firm's  reply  having 
been  received,  the  Council  authorized  publication  of  the  report 
which  appears  below.  W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

*  Sec  also  page  204. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  85 

Pantopon 

Under  this  name,  the  Hoffmann  LaRoche  Chemical  Works 
submitted  a  pharmaceutical  preparation  of  opium,  consisting  of 
a  mixture  of  the  hydrochlorids  of  the  various  opium  alkaloids, 
as  extracted  directly  from  the  drug,  with  more  or  less  purifica- 
tion. 

The  Council  holds  that  this  name  does  not  effectively  suggest 
that  the  preparation  is  a  mixture  of  opium  alkaloids,  as  is 
required  by  the  part  of  Rule  8  which  reads : 

"In  the  case  of  pharmaceutical  preparations  or  mixtures  the 
trade  name  must  be  so  framed  as  to  indicate  the  most  potent  ingre- 
dients." 

and  further  explains: 

"It  is  particularly  important  that  actively  poisonous  or  habit- 
forming  drugs  be  not  disguised  under  an  innocently  worded  title." 

The  Council  maintains  that  the  name  "Pantopon"  does  not 
sufficiently  protect  the  public  against  the  habit-forming  and 
other  dangers  inherent  in  such  mixtures.  The  manufacturers, 
on  being  informed  of  these  objections,  offered  to  substitute  the 
name  "Omopon."  As  this  is  open  to  the  same  objections,  it 
could  not  be  accepted  by  the  Council.  After  much  correspond- 
ence, the  manufacturers  refused  to  consider  any  other  name 
which  would  more  definitely  suggest  its  composition. 

The  Council  is  therefore  forced  to  reject  the  product  and  has 
ordered  the  publication  of  this  report. 

COMMENT:  This  is  a  case  in  which  the  rules  of  the  Council 
are  in  conflict  with  the  views  of  the  manufacturers  and  the 
Council  is  bound  in  consistency  to  stand  by  its  rules,  which  are 
framed  to  protect  the  public  and  the  profession.  Pantopon  is 
not  a  definite  chemical  body,  but  a  mixture  of  known  sub- 
stances—the several  alkaloids  naturally  occurring  in  opium — 
and  the  Council's  rules  require  that  such  a  preparation  should 
bear  a  name  indicative  of  its  composition.  The  name  "Pan- 
topon" although  it  might  suggest  opium  to  those  well 
acquainted  with  Greek  would  not  do  so  to  all  and  it  would 
be  relatively  easy  for  physicians  to  fall  into  the  habit  of  using 
it  indiscriminately  without  realizing  fully  the  character  of  the 
preparation,  and  the  preparation  thus  becomes  a  menace  to  the 
public. 

As  to  the  merits  of  the  preparation  itself,  it  is  remarkable 
what  a  literature  has  been  built  about  a  simple  mixture  of  the 
opium  alkaloids.  The  preparation  is  claimed  to  be  superior  to 
opium  because  it  is  more  readily  soluble.  This  trifling  advan- 
tage seems  to  have  been  sufficient,  however,  to  justify  the  pub- 
lication of  a  dozen  or  more  pamphlets.  But  in  reality,  this 
preparation  is  nothing  more,  therapeutically,  than  a  form  of 
opium  and,  therefore,  should  be  known  to  the  physician  as 
opium.  The  reports  made  of  its  action  seem  to  indicate  a  lack 
of  critical  sifting  of  the  evidence.  Notwithstanding,  both  its 


86  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

source  and  the  fact  that  experimental  and  clinical  reports 
emphasize  its  close  resemblance  to  opium  and  morphin,  one 
author  (H.  Haymann,  "Pantopon  in  der  Psychiatric,"  Munch, 
med.  Wchnschr.,  No.  43,  1910)  remarks  that  a  habit  was  not 
produced,  inferring  that  something  in  the  character  of  the 
preparation  prevented  the  formation  of  such  a  habit. 

The  one  thing  to  be  kept  in  mincl  in  considering  the  claims 
made  in  the  literature  for  this  preparation  is  that  it  represents 
opium  and  opium  only  and  any  statements  of  its  superiority 
to  opium  must  be  read  in  the  light  of  the  well-known  tendency 
of  writers  to  exaggerate  the  virtues  of  proprietary  substitutes 
for  official  substances. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April 
29,  1911.) 


PAPAYANS  BELL 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

The  following  report  of  a  subcommittee  was  submitted  to, 
and  adopted  by,  the  Council  and  its  publication  directed. 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

Papayans  (Bell)  made  by  Bell  &  Co.,  Orangeburg,  N.  Y., 
is  said  to  consist  of  the  "digestive  principle  obtained  by  our 
own  exclusive  process  from  the  fruit  of  Carica  papaya,  com- 
bined with  willow  charcoal,  chemically  pure  sodium  bicarbon- 
ate and  aromatics."  The  following  statement  appears  on  the 
package:  "For  the  treatment  of  dyspepsia,  flatulence,  nausea, 
vertigo,  hyperacidity,  palpitation  and  other  symptoms  of  in- 
digestion and  the  vomiting  of  pregnancy.  Peritonitis,  cholera 
morbus,  alcoholism  and  seasickness."  "Digests  every  variety 
of  food,  removes  every  symptom  of  indigestion,  restores  the 
entire  digestive  tract  to  a  normal  condition."  The  dosage  is 
recommended  as  follows:  "From  one  to  three  tablets  before 
meals,  or  two  hours  after  eating.  In  severe  cases,  three  tab- 
lets dissolved  in  hot  water  and  repeated  as  necessary." 

A  circular  which  accompanies  the  package  details  the  thera- 
peutic virtues  of  the  preparation  and  contains  what  purports 
to  be  extracts  from  medical  journals,  in  which  Papayans  is 
recommended. 

Examination  of  specimens  purchased  in  the  open  market 
showed  them  to  contain  the  following  ingredients:  Charcoal, 
sodium  bicarbonate,  ginger,  saccharin  and  oil  of  gaultheria. 
As  the  product  is  said  to  contain  papain,  the  presence  of  en- 
zymes was  tested  for,  with  the  result  that  it  was  found  to 
possess  neither  proteolytic  nor  amylolytic  properties.  The 
results  of  our  examination  are  in  accord  with  the  results  ob- 
tained by  a  member  of  the  Council,  who  examined  the  product 
independently,  and  who  writes: 

"We  have  made  some  extended  tests  with  Papayans  Bell, 
and  find  that  the  tablets  consist  essentially  of  sodium  bicar- 
bonate and  charcoal,  with  a  little  flavoring  matter.  We  find 
no  digesting  power  for  starch  or  egg  albumin.  At  any  rate, 
no  appreciable  change  follows  in  the  albumin  in  three  hours, 
and  no  conversion  to  sugar  in  the  same  time,  or  change  of 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  87 

starch  to  a  point  where  the  iodin  reaction  is  weakened.     The 
product  seems  to  be  practically  inert." 

It  is  recommended  that  Papayans  Bell  be  refused  recogni- 
tion, and  that  publication  of  this  report  be  authorized. 

COMMENT:  It  will  be  remembered  that  two  other  products 
of  Messrs.  Bell  &  Company  have  been  discussed  in  this  depart- 
ment: Salacetin  (Bell)1  and  Sal-Codeia  (Bell)2.  Salacetin 
was  examined  with  several  "synthetics"  which  all  turned  out 
to  be  mere  acetanilid  mixtures.  Salacetin,  advertised  as  "a 
combination,  with  heat,  of  Salicylic  and  Glacial  Acetic  Acids 
and  Phenylamine"  when  examined  "was  found  to  be  a  mixture 
and  to  contain  the  following  ingredients  approximately  in 
the  proportion  given:  Acetanilid,  43;  sodium  bicarbonate,  21; 
and  ammonium  carbonate,  20."  Sal-Codeia  (Salacetin-Codein) 
therefore,  would  be  the  same  with  codein  added. 

Papayans  (Bell)  seems  to  be  consistently  fulfilling  the  life- 
history  of  the  average  nostrum.  Made  of  well-known  drugs 
and  invested  by  its  manufacturers — or  exploiters — with  vir- 
tues absurdly  disproportionate  to  the  known  properties  of 
the  alleged  constituents  of  the  nostrum,  the  preparation  was 
introduced  to  the  world  via  the  medical  profession.  With  the 
help  of  thoughtless  physicians,  aided  by  a  skillful  and 
aggressive  advertising  campaign  and  augmented  by  the  "free 
sample"  device,  the  business  grew  and  prospered.  The  bottles 
with  the  name  and  address  of  the  company  blown  in  the  glass 
and  with  the  varied  therapeutic  indications  for  the  nostrum 
printed  both  on  the  label  and  on  a  circular  in  which  the  bot- 
tle is  wrapped,  have  carried  the  manufacturer's  message  to 
the  drug-taking  public. 

Apropos  of  this  point,  the  recent  "literature"  contains  what 
purports  to  be  endorsements  of  the  nostrum  by  medical  jour- 
nals. Thus  there  is  quoted  from  the  New  York  Medical  Jour- 
nal, Jan.  2,  1909,  in  part,  the  following  recommendation: 
".  .  .  we  venture  to  suggest  to  our  readers  who  have  not 
tried  this  remedy  that  they  prescribe  one  original  sealed  pack- 
age of  Papayans  (Bell)  and  that  they  carefully  note  the  re- 
sults from  its  use."  [Italics  ours.— ED.]  Having  seen  an 
"original  sealed  package"  we  believe  that  we  can  predict  the 
"results  from  its  use."  On  any  patient  not  mentally  unbal- 
anced, the  result  would  be  that  the  next  dose  of  Papayans 
(Bell)  he  thought  that  he  needed  would  be  purchased  from 
the  druggist  direct. 

That  such  results  are  not  hypothetical  is  evidenced  by  the 
statements  of  the  exploiters  of  Papayans  (Bell)  that  "the 
annual  sale  now  exceeds  four  hundred  million  tablets."  As- 
suming this  statement  to  be  true,  it  would  be  necessary  for 
every  physician  in  the  United  States  to  prescribe  over  three 

1.  See  Index. 

2.  See  Index. 


88  /•/,'0/».4f7.4A~D.l      FOK     HKWHtM 

thousand  of  these  tablets  every  year — if  they  reached 
patients  only  through  the  physician!  The  company's  own 
figures  indicate  that  the  time  is  about  ripe  to  take  care  of 
this  vast  army  of  self-drugging  laymen  and  recent  circular 
letters  seem  to  recognize  it.  The  physician  is  notified  that 
druggists  are  now  furnished  with  Papayans  (Bell)  "in  sealed 
packages  of  thirty  and  one  hundred  tablets."  The  medical 
man  is  told  that  the  firm  has  "not  forgotten  the  days  when 
physicians'  orders  made  our  success  possible"  and  it  says  it  is 
"sincerely  grateful  to  the  doctors  who  gave  us  orders  in  the 
days  when  we  were  struggling  for  recognition."  This  tacit 
admission  of  the  value  of  the  physician  as  an  unpaid  agent  for 
nostrum  houses  should  be  given  thought  by  those  physicians 
who  prescribe  such  preparations. 

While,  so  far  as  we  know,  Bell  &  Co.  have  not  yet  adver- 
tised in  the  daily  press,  they  are  not  averse  to  furnishing  the 
laity  with  samples  when  requested.  An  Ohio  physician  sent 
us  the  following  letter  received  by  a  young  woman  who  had 
written  asking  for  samples: 


Miss  X T , 

Dear  Madam :  As  requested,  we  are  mailing  you  sample  of  our 
Papayans  (Bell)  for  Indigestion. 

If  a  sufferer  frcin  Indigestion,  we  want  you  to  give  it  a  thor- 
ough trial  as  directed  and  note  remarkable  results  that  we  believe 
you  will  get  from  Its  use. 

Kindly  write  us  If  you  are  unable  to  obtain  It  from  your  local 
druggist,  as  It  is  stocked  by  nearly  every  good  drugstore  In  the 
United  States.  Yours  truly, 

BELL  &  Co. 


Evidently  Bell  &  Co.,  while  admitting  that  their  financial 
success  is  largely  due  to  the  kindly,  though  misguided,  efforts 
of  physicians,  are  not  going  to  let  a  little  thing  like  loyalty 
to  the  medical  profession  interfere  with  a  possible  sale  of 
their  tablets. 

THE  L.  D.  JOHNS  COMPANY 

A  discussion  of  the  methods  of  Bell  &  Company  would  not 
be  complete  without  reference  to  a  concern  which  seems  to  be 
«losely  connected  with  it:  the  L.  D.  Johns  Company,  whose 
"only  product"  is  a  sugar-coated  laxative  tablet.  Regarding 
the  "sugar  coated"  tablet,  a  visitor  at  the  place  of  business 
of  Bell  &  Company  and  the  L.  D.  Johns  Company,  wrote: 
"These  companies  apparently  are  not  in  possession  of  any 
tablet  coating  machines  and  in  questioning  on  this  point 
stated  that  some  of  their  tablets  were  sent  out  to  be  coated." 
There  is  a  sameness  regarding  the  claims  for  the  laxative  tab- 
lets of  the  two  companies  that  might  lead  one  to  suspect 


CUVSC1L     ItKl'ORTS  89 

that     the     same     individual     prepared     both     circulars.       For 
instance: 

CASCARANS    (BELL)  DB.   JOHN'S  TABLETS 

"Taken    as    directed,    it    per-  "Taken   as   directed     .     .     . 

manently      removes      the     great  permanently    remove    the    great 

majority    of    cases    of    habitual  majority    of    cases    of    habitual 

constipation."  constipation,     torpid     liver     and 

sick    headache." 

"...     a    harmless    vege-  "A    harmless    vegetable    rem- 

table    preparation."  edy." 

"...     for     the     removal  "...     removes     pimples, 

of      pimples,      yellowness      and  blotches,    sallowness   and   greasi- 

greasiness   of   the   skin     .     .     ."  ness   of  the   skin     ..." 

"...     one        tablet        at  "One  at  night,  one  night  and 

night,      one  night  and  morning,  morning,     or,    In     severe    cases, 

or,    In    severe    cases,    one    three  one   three   times   a   day.     Grad- 

times   a   day,   gradually   decreas-  ually   decrease  the   frequency   of 

Ing    the    frequency    of    the    dose  the    dose    as    Improvement    per- 

as    Improvement    permits."  mlts." 

According  to  a  leaflet  sent  out  with  samples  by  the 
L.  D.  Johns  Company,  the  company  is  capitalized  for 
$500,000,  divided  into  50,000  shares  at  $10.00  each;  these 
shares  are  sold  to  those  physicians  who  will  agree 
"to  prescribe  the  tablets  at  every  suitable  opportunity, 
to  introduce  them  to  other  physicians"  and  "to  pro- 
mote their  sale  in  every  ethical  way"!  If  the  list  of  phy- 
sicians' names  and  addresses  which  the  company  sends  out 
as  comprising  the  eastern  stockholders  is  to  be  relied  on,  it 
would  seem  that  many  medical  men  are  promoting  their  sale. 
In  prescribing  it  is,  of  course,  "necessary  to  specify  'Dr.  Johns' 
Tablets  No.  XXX  (Original  bottle).'"  As  the  name  is  on 
the  bottle,  it  is  not  unbelievable  that,  as  the  company  says 
in  its  prospectus,  because  of  "our  method  of  advertising,  a 
large  and  very  profitable  business  is  being  created."  That  the 
L.  D.  Johns  Company  expects  to  profit  by  the  self-drugging 
which  this  method. of  prescribing  fosters  is  evident: 

"Physicians  not  stockholders  In  this  company  suffer  from  the 
continual  refilling  of  their  prescriptions  and  from  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  preparation  prescribed  l>y  patients  to  others.  [Italics 
ours.— ED.  1  Our  stockholders  benefit  by  the  refilling  of  their  ore- 
Bcrtpttona  and  by  these  recommendations." 

Put  baldly  the  case  amounts  to  this:  Physicians  who  pre- 
scribe "Dr.  Johns'  Tablets"  not  only  are  likely  to  foster  self- 
drugging,  but  they  will  reap  dividends  therefrom.  Truly  a 
nice  business  to  be  in! 

While  Bell  &  Company  and  the  L.  D.  Johns  Company  are 
said  to  be  entirely  distinct,  they  are  to  be  found  at  the  same 
address  at  Orangeburg,  New  York,  and  as  will  be  seen,  the 
officers  of  the  two  companies  are  more  or  less  related. 

BELT,  &  CO.  L.  D.   JOHNS  CO. 

President     -     -     -  JOHN  L.  DODGE    -  -  -     President 

Secretary     ...  GEO.  C.  TENNANT  -  -     Vice-President 

Vice-President  -     -  CHAS.  B.  SMITH  -  -  -     Sec'y  and  Treasurer 


90  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REF(HtM 

EXPLOITING  THE  PBOFESSION 

Nostrum  promoters  have  two  simple  ways  of  "working" 
the  medical  profession.  The  first— and  the  more  profitable— 
is,  by  lavish  distribution  of  free  samples,  to  get  physicians  to 
prescribe  the  blown-in-the-glass  "original  package"  with  the 
inevitable  result  of  large  sales  direct  to  the  laity.  By  the 
second  method,  which  is  merely  a  modification  of  the  first, 
the  physician  furnishes  the  capital  for  floating  the  nostrum 
and  then  takes  his  share  of  the  resulting  profits.  There  may  not 
be  quite  as  much  money  in  the  second  method  for  the  promo- 
ter, but  then  the  risks  are  correspondingly  less.  If  the  firm 
fails,  the  stockholders  are  the  losers;  the  promoter  is  not 
necessarily  "out"  anything.  From  a  commercial  standpoint,  a 
combination  of  the  two  methods  is,  of  course,  ideal. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  14,  1909.) 


PASSIFLORA    AND    DANIEL'S    CONCENTRATED    TINC- 
TURE    OF     PASSIFLORA 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The   Council   has   voted   that   the   drug   passiflora    (passion 
flower)  be  not  accepted  for  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  and 
has  recommended  that  the  following  article  be  published  in 
THE  JOURNAL.     It  is  considered  important  to  call  attention, 
not  only  to  the  lack  of  reliable  evidence  of  the  therapeutic 
value  of  passiflora,  but  also  to  the  absurdity  of  the  claims 
which  are  made  for  Daniel's  concentrated  tincture  of  passiflora, 
a  preparation  which  has  been  already  refused  recognition. 
W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Passiflora 

Although  passiflora  was  introduced  into  medicine  nearly 
seventy  years  ago,  the  literature  concerning  it  is  not  very 
extensive;  it  is  not  mentioned  in  the  standard  works  on 
pharmacology  and  its  chemistry  seems  never  to  have  been 
worked  out.  There  appears,  also,  to  be  no  record  of  experi- 
mental investigations  of  the  drug  with  reference  to  its  phar- 
macologic  action,  except  an  article  by  I.  Ott,1  who  used 
"Daniel's  concentrated  tincture."  Ott  claimed  that  it  les- 
sened the  reflex  irritability  of  the  cord  and  paralyzed  motion 
by  acting  on  the  motor  centers  in  the  cord,  and  that  it 
increased  the  rate  of  respiration.  He  also  stated  that  because 
of  its  action  on  the  vasomotor  centers  it  reduced  the  fre- 
quency of  the  heart-beat  and  lowered  arterial  tension,  but 
that  these  effects  Avere  only  temporary. 

On  the  clinical  side  the  reports  are  not  numerous  and  such 
as  have  been  made  do  not  appear  to  be  based  on  very  exten- 


1.  Med.  Bull.,  1898,  xr,  457-464. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  91 

sive  trials  nor  on  conditions  of  observation  that  would  entitle 
them  to  more  than  slight  consideration.  S.  D.  Bullington2 
reports  good  results,  but  no  cure,  in  one  case  of  epilepsy,  and 
improvement  in  a  case  of  insomnia.  W.  J.  Stapleton3  rec- 
ommends it  in  the  form  of  a  concentrated  tincture  (not  the 
one  advertised  so  extensively),  and  states  that  he  has  used  it 
with  great  success  in  insomnia,  hysteria,  neurasthenia,  neu- 
ralgia, nervous  and  physical  prostration,  and  in  alcoholism. 
In  his  opinion  its  action  is  most  apparent  in  cases  of  nervous- 
ness due  to  causes  other  than  pain.  S.  Harnsberger*  reports 
two  cases  in  which  partial  blindness  followed  the  taking  of 
potassium  bromid  and  passion  flower. 

Extravagant  and  inconsistent  claims  are  made  for  Daniel's 
concentrated  tincture  of  passiflora  in  the  advertising  litera- 
ture, where  it  is  recommended  for  such  a  wide  range  of  dis- 
eases as  asthma,  typhoid  fever,  convulsions  and  paralysis. 

None  of  the  evidence  is  sufficient  to  show  that  passiflora  has 
therapeutic  value;  hence  it  is  deemed  inadvisable  to  include 
this  drug  in  the  list  of  nonofficial  remedies. — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  19,  1910.) 


LIQUID     COMBINATIONS      CONTAINING     PEPSIN     AND 

PANCREATIN. 
Report   of  the   Council   on   Pharmacy   and    Chemistry    of    the 

American  Medical  Association. 

The  following  report  was  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  sub- 
committee : 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — The 
U.  S.  Pharmacopeia,  8th  revision,  pages  334-5,  states: 
"Pepsin  and  pancreatin  in  solution  are  incompatible 
with  one  another.  If  the  solution  be  neutral  or  alka- 
line the  pancreatin  gradually  destroys  the  pepsin,  and 
if  acid  the  pepsin  destroys  the  pancreatin."  The  cor- 
rectness of  this  statement  has  been  amply  demon- 
strated by  the  reports  which  have  been  submitted  to 
the  Council  from  time  to  time  on  liquid  preparations 
claimed  to  contain  these  two  ferments. 

Thus  an  elixir  was  investigated  which  was  by  the 
manufacturers  claimed  to  contain  "the  five  active 
agents  of  digestion,  pepsin,  veg.  ptyalin,  pancreatin, 
lactic  and  hydrochloric  acids,"  and  to  be  "superior  to 
all  other  remedies  in  dyspepsia  and  diseases  arising 
from  imperfect  digestion,"  and  the  committee  which 
investigated  the  article  in  question  reported  that  "it 
was  impossible  to  establish  the  presence  of  either  the 
proteolytic  or  the  amylolytic  ferment." 

2.  Nashville  Jour.   Med.  and  Surg.,  1897,  Ixxxi,  107-109. 

3.  Detroit  Med.  Jour.,  1904-5,  Iv,  17. 

4.  Virginia   Med.   Semimonthly,   1898-9,   iii,   392. 


92  Htor.-iuAMn    roit    it K FORM 

Similarly,  on  anothet  liquid  preparation,  which  was 
said  to  contain  "pancreatin,  pepsin,  lactic  and  muri- 
atic acids,  etc."  .  .  .  "the  combined  principles  of 
digestion  to  aid  in  digesting  animal  and  vegetable 
cooked  food,  fatty  and  amylaceous  substances,"  the 
committee  reported  "this  product  possessed  only  very 
slight  proteolytic  action  and  failed  to  digest  2  per 
cent,  of  its  own  weight  of  starch." 

Again,  the  report  on  still  another  preparation 
stated:  "But  while  it  was  said  to  contain  pancreatin. 
the  U.  S.  P.  test  for  the  valuation  of  pancreatin  failed 
to  indicate  this  ferment." 

The  report  on  yet  another  elixir,  claimed  to  be  "the 
only  true  digestant,  because  it  contains  the  enzymes 
of  all  the  glands  which  are  necessary  for  digestion," 
showed  that  this  article  did  not  contain  "any  appre- 
ciable enzyme  activity,  either  amylolytic  or  proteo- 
lytic." 

The  correctness  of  these  findings  of  the  committee  of 
the  Council  was  generally  acknowledged  by  the  manu- 
facturers when  their  attention  was  called  to  the  mat- 
ter. Thus,  one  manufacturer  of  digestive  ferments 
writes:  "We  will  ask  you  to  hold  this  matter  up 
until  you  hear  from  us  further  on  the.  subject.  The 
reason  for  this  request  is  that  we  have  been  going  over 
our  liquid  preparations  very  carefully  in  order  to  be 
sure  that  after  aging  they  would  contain  the  ferments 
in  that  we  put  into  them.  The  pancreatic  ferments 
in  alcoholic  liquids  seem  to  lose  their  strength." 

The  '  chemist  for  a  large  manufacturing  house 
writes:  "There  are  now  on  the  market  a  number  of 
preparations  in  which  pepsin. and  pancreatin  are  com- 
bined in  liquid  form,  and  the  result  is  that  we  have 
had  numberless  requisitions  from  our  representatives 
that  we  also  market  such  a  preparation.  As  the 
result  of  this  we  have  carried  out  a  series  of  experi- 
ments no  less  than  four  or  five  times  in  order  to 
determine  whether  pepsin,  diastase,  and  pancreatin 
would  retain  their  activity  in  the  form  of  a  syrup, 
wine  or  elixir.  We  have  proven  incontrovertibly  that 
this  cannot  be  done.  While  any  two  of  these  sub- 
stances, or  even  all  three  of  them,  can  be  dispensed 
in  the  form  of  a  liquid  by  the  retail  druggist  and 
will  retain  their  normal  activity  for  as  long  a  period 
as  three  to  six  weeks,  yet  if  allowed  to  stand  suffi- 
ciently long,  they  mutually  destroy  each  other;  so 
that  in  a  combination  of  pancreatin  and  pepsin  the 
pancreatic  enzyme  is  lost  and  the  pepsin  greatly 
injured,  and  where  diastase  is  present,  both  diastase 
and  pepsin  (or  diastase  and  pancreatin)  mutually 
destroy  each  other." 

Since  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  pepsin  and  pan- 
creatin cannot  exist  in  one  and  the  same  solution  for 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  93 

any  reasonable  length  of  time,  it  becomes  apparent 
that  liquid  preparations  said  to  contain  these  two 
ferments  are  sold  under  impossible  claims.  It  is 
therefore  recommended : 

1.  THAT  THE  COUNCIL  ON  PHARMACY  AND  CHEM- 
ISTRY  REFUSE   TO   APPROVE   LIQUID  PREPARATIONS    THAT 
ARE     CLAIMED     TO     CONTAIN     BOTH     PEPSIN    AND     PAN- 
CREATIN. 

2.  THAT   THE   MEDICAL   PROFESSION   THROUGH    THE 
JOURNAL  OF  THE  AMERICAN  MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION,  BE 
ADVISED  OF  THE  FALLACY  OF  EMPLOYING   SUCH  COM- 
BINATIONS. 

3.  THAT   THE   ATTENTION   OF   MANUFACTURERS     BE 

CALLED  TO  THE  WORTHLESSNESS  OF  SUCH  INCOMPATI- 
BLE LIQUID  PREPARATIONS  OF  PEPSIN  AND  PANCREATIN, 
AND  THAT  THEY  BE  URGED  TO  CEASE  OFFERING  SUCH 

PRODUCTS  TO  THE  PROFESSION. 

4.  THAT,  SINCE  THE  NATIONAL  FORMULARY  HAS  REC- 
OGNIZED   A    PREPARATION     OF    THIS    KIND    UNDER    THE 
TITLE  "ELIXIR  DlGESTIVUM   COMPOSITUM,"  THE  AMERI- 
CAN PHARMACEUTICAL  ASSOCIATION  BE  REQUESTED  TO 

INSTRUCT  ITS  COMMITTEE  ON  THE  NATIONAL  FORMU- 
LARY TO  O.MIT  THIS  PREPARATION  FROM  THE  NEXT 
EDITION. 

The  recommendations  of  the  subcommittee  were  adopted  by 
the  Council  and  publication  of  the  report  directed. — From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  2,  1907.) 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 


PHENACETIN,    SULPHONAL    AND    TRIONAL 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry,  Holding 

These  Names  to  be  Non-Proprietary 

The  following  report  of  the  Committee  on  Patents  and 
Trademarks  was  adopted  by  the  Council  and  the  descriptions 
in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  1912,  have  been  modified  as 
directed  in  the  report.  W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

REPORT   OF    THE    COMMITTEE   ON    PATENTS    AND   TRADE-MARKS 

Recently  the  Council  voted  to  list  lanolin  in  "New  and  Non- 
official  Remedies"  as  a  synonym  for  adeps  lanse  hydrosus,  its 
pharmacopeial  name.  This  action  was  in  accord  with  the 
generally  recognized  principle  that  the  name  used  by  a  pat- 
entee to  designate  a  patented  article  becomes  the  common 
name  of  such  article  after  the  patent  has  expired.  This  prin- 
ciple, and  also  the  principle  that  a  generic  title — or  common 
name — cannot  be  legally  continued  as  a  trade-mark,  have 


94  PRO  I'M  1. \.\in      FOR     REFORM 

been  generally  recognized  and  are  thoroughly  well  established 
by  decisions  of  the  courts.1 

So  far  as  medicines  are  concerned,  the  same  principles  have 
been  directly  established  by  a  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  state  of  New  York  in  the  lanolin  case.2 

Your  committee  believes  it  important  that  the  medical  pro- 
fession know  the  facts  regarding  this  subject  of  names  of 
patented  articles,  namely,  that  when  the  patent  expires,  the 
name  of  the  article  becomes  public  property,  provided  the 
name  has  been  generally  used  for  the  article.  Besides  adeps 
lanae  hydrosus  or  lanolin,  there  are  three  preparations  in  the 
U.  S.  Pharmacopeia  that  come  in  this  category,  all  of  which 
have  been  widely  used  under  the  proprietary  names  given  by 
the  patentees.  These  are  acetphenetidin,  sulphonmethane  and 
sulphonethylmethane,  sold,  respectively,  under  the  names  phe- 
nacetin,  sulphonal  and  trional.  The  patents  on  these  products 
having  expired,  anyone  can  make  and  sell  them.  They  are  now 
official  in  many  foreign  pharmacopeias,  with  direct  or  indirect 
recognition  of  their  trade  names  in  practically  all. 

It  is  evident  that  the  names  "phenacetin,"  "sulphonal"  and 
"trional"  have  become  generic  designations  for  the  several 
products  to  which  they  have  been  applied. 

Therefore,  it  is  recommended  that  the  present  descriptions 
for  these  articles  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  be  modi- 
lied  to  indicate  more  clearly  that  the  names  "phenacetin," 
"sulphonal"  and  "trional"  are  synonyms  for  the  official  titles 
acetphenetidin,  sulphonmethane  and  sulphonethylmethane, 
respectively,  and  that  the  tests  of  identity  and  purity  pre- 
scribed in  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopeia  should  apply  to  the  products 
dispensed  under  these  titles.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
April  27,  1912.) 


PHENOL  SODIQUE 
Report  of  Examination  by  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

and   Comments 

An  examination  of  this  article  by  a  subcommittee  of  the 
Council  on  Pharmacy   and   Chemistry   revealed  unscrupulous 

1.  For  example,   the  frequently  quoted  Singer  Sewing  Machine 
case    may    be    mentioned.      This    case    was    decided    by    the    U.    S. 
Supreme  Court   (per  Justice  White,  May  8,  1896),  on  appeal  from 
decree  of  Circuit  Court  of  U    S.  for  Northern  District  of  Illinois. 
The   following  is   an    extract   of   the   decision    (163    W.    S.    169)  : 
It  is  the  universal  American,  English  and  French  doctrine  "that 
where,  during  the  life  of  a  monopoly  created  by  a  patent,  a  name, 
whether  it  be  arbitrary  or  be  that  of  the  inventor,  has  become,  by 
his  consent,  either  express  or  tacit,  the  identifying  and  generic  name 
of  the   thing  patented,   this  name  passes  to   the  public   with   the 
cessation  of  the  monopoly  which  the  patent  created."     .     .     .    The 
decision  emphasizes,  of  course,  that  the  defendant  must  not  carry 
on  unfair  or  deceptive  competition  in  business.     The  principles  laid 
down   above  are   further   emphasized   by   the  opinions   recorded  in 
Green  Tweed  &  Co.  v.  Mfgs.  Belt  Hook  Co.   (158  F.  R.  640). 

2.  Jaffe  et.  al.  v.  Evans  &  Sons,  limited,  N.  Y.  State  Rep.,  Vol. 
109,  Suppl.  75,  p.  257,  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  9,  1911,  Ivii, 
p.  906. 


COUNCIL     KErORTS  95 

claims  which  are  a  positive  menace  to  public  health.  In  view 
of  this  the  Council  has  directed  the  publication  of  the  follow- 
ing comments.  W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 


Phenol  Sodique  was  not  submitted  to  the  Council  by  the 
manufacturers,  but  was  taken  up  because  it  is  advertised  to 
both  physicians  and  the  public.  Some  advertisements  state: 
"Phenol  Sodique  was  the  standard  antiseptic  thirty  years  ago. 
It's  the  same  to-day."  If  this  were  true,  it  would  be  high  time 
to  call  a  halt;  for  the  unscrupulous  claims  made  for  this  nos- 
trum, and  the  effrontery  with  which  they  are  pushed,  are  only 
rivaled  by  those  of  the  most  shameless  "patent  medicines." 

The  firm  of  Hance  Bros.  &  White  poses  as  a  reputable 
pharmaceutical  manufacturing  house,  but  how  it  can  recon- 
cile this  position  with  their  method  of  exploiting  this  product 
passes  all  understanding.  In  the  original  package  of  Phenol 
Sodique  (the  latest  was  purchased  on  June  20,  1907),  there 
are  little  booklets  and  a  folder  describing  the  marvelous  prop- 
erties of  the  nostrum.  The  booklets  do  not  refer  to  Phenol 
Sodique,  but  they  are  very  instructive.  They  are  entitled: 
"Dyspepsia,"  "Worm  News,"  and  "Catarrh,"  advertising 
"Dyspepsia  Stop" — some  form  of  dyspepsia  tablets,  a  remedy 
for  round  worms,  and  "Catarrh  Stop,"  apparently  some  mild 
antiseptic  tablets.  These  booklets  are  addressed  frankly  to 
the  laity,  although  recourse  to  a  physician  is,  generously, 
advised  if  the  patient  does  not  respond  to  treatment!  The 
folly  of  prescribing  "original  packages"  which  contain  popular 
literature  has  been  so  often  emphasized  that  further  comment 
seems  superfluous.  The  following  from  "Catarrh,"  however, 
throws  an  interesting  sidelight  on  the  scientific  status  of 
Hance  Bros.  &  White : 


"Catarrh  is  due  to  a  minute  insect  in  the  inner  lin- 
ing membrane  of  the  nose.  This  insect  multiplies  rap- 
idly, and,  unless  checked  and  destroyed,  will  produce 
the  worst  results." 


To  return,  however,  to  Phenol  Sodique:  The  folder  is  also 
evidently  intended  for  the  lay  public  rather  than  for  physi- 
cians; at  least,  if  we  are  to  credit  Hance  Bros.  &  White  with 
any  intelligence  whatsoever.  It  is  headed:  "Montyon  Prize 
of  Encouragement,  Awarded  by  the  Institute  of  France,  1861." 
This  is  rather  ancient,  but  what  follows  indicates  that  a  little 
restraint  would  have  been  better  than  encouragement.  The 
circular  is  a  compact  treatise  on  self-medication — apparently 
all  that  is  necessary  to  retain  or  regain  health  is  the  use  of 
Phenol  Sodique,  externally  and  internally.  The  following  con- 
ditions are  among  those  specifically  named  as  amenable  to  this 
remedy:  Small-pox,  measles,  scarlatina,  erysipelas,  puerperal 


06  PROPAGANDA      roll     lfl-]l-'Olf\l 

fever,  typhoid  fever,  cholera,  diarrhea,  cramps,  burns  and 
scalds,  bites,  cuts  and  wounds,  excoriations,  chilblains,  chaps, 
sore  throat,  scratches,  catarrh,  tetter,  sunburn,  swollen  veins, 
ulcers,  hemorrhages,  bruises,  piles,  gangrene,  carbuncle,  itching, 
insect  stings,  ivy  poison,  cold  in  the  head,  bunions,  inflamed 
'eyes,  eczema,  ringworm,  rheumatism,  pains,  toothache,  seat 
worms,  etc. — besides  numerous  diseases  of  animals. 

No  antiseptic,  whatever  its  composition,  could  by  any  pos- 
sibility accomplish  anything  like  what  is  claimed  for  Phenol 
Sodique,  so  that  the  composition  of  the  article  is  really  of 
little  importance.  This  is  evidently  appreciated  by  the  manu- 
facturers, for  they  have  kept  the  composition  a  profound  secret, 
except  in  so  far  as  it  is  implied  in  the  name.  An  inquiry 
addressed  to  Hance  Bros.  &  White,  under  date  of  April  27, 
1907,  six  months  ago,  has  remained  unanswered.  The  Council, 
therefore,  directed  an  analysis  of  Phenol  Sodique.  This  was 
carried  out  at  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  American  Med- 
ical Association,  and  a  check  analysis  was  made  by  an  inde- 
pendent firm  of  chemists. 

This  shows  that  Phenol-Sodique  contains  something  like  0.5 
or  0.66  per  cent,  of  phenols,  dissolved  in  about  0.75  per  cent, 
of  sodium  hydroxid.  In  other  words,  it  appears  to  be  essen- 
tially a  very  dilute  alkaline  solution  of  some  impure  coal-tar 
product,  presumably  a  crude  carbolic  acid.  The  analysis  could 
not  profitably  be  carried  further,  because  the  amount  of  the 
antiseptic  agent  is  so  very  small. 

The  consideration  of  this  analysis,  in  connection  with  the 
claims  made  for  Phenol-Sodique,  leaves  little  doubt  as  to  one 
reason  for  the  secrecy  concerning  its  composition;  although  no 
educated  physician  could  be  deceived  into  believing  for  a 
moment  that  Phenol-Sodique  could  fulfill  the  promises  of  its 
promoters,  even  if  it  were  "the  best  antiseptic,  hemostatic  and 
disinfectant  on  the  market,"  as  the  manufacturers  say  in  their 
advertisements. 

From  its  composition,  it  can  only  have  the  very  moderate 
and  ordinary  antiseptic  qualities  of  a  dilute  phenol  or  cresol 
solution,  modified  only  to  a  very  slight  extent  by  the  free 
alkali.  According  to  the  manufacturers,  however,  "Phenol- 
Sodique  is  a  wonderful  preparation."  Just  how  wonderful 
appears  from  these  extracts  from  the  dissertations  in  the 
pamphlet  which  is  enclosed  in  the  package. 

"Catarrh,  Old  Colds,  etc.:  Drink  every  morning  and  evening  a 
glass  of  water  containing  ten  to  thirty  drops  of  Phenol-Sodique.  .  ." 

"Small-Pox":  To  prevent  attack  take  internally  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  fifteen  or  twenty  drops  of  Phenol-Sodique  in  one 
tablespoonful  of  sugar  and  water.  .  .  . 

"Measles,  Scarlatina  and  Erysipelas:  Same  treatment  as  for 
Smallpox. 

"Typhoid  Fever:  To  prevent  attack  take  internally  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  fifteen  or  twenty  drops  of  Phenol-Sodique. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  97 

"Cholera:  To  prevent  spread  sawdust  or  sand  wet  with  Phenol- 
Sodiquc,  in  apartments. 

"The  very  best  precaution  is  to  drink,  morning  and  evening,  a 
glass  of  water  containing  from  fifteen  to  thirty  drops  of  Phenol- 
Sodique.  .  .  . 

"  .  .  .  Premonitory  Diarrhea':  .  .  .  Drink  a  teaspoonful  of 
1'henol-Sodique  diluted  in  an  ounce  of  water.  .  .  ." 

This  is  the  kind  of  therapeutics  and  prophylaxis  taught  to 
the  medical  profession  by  their  self-appointed  instructors,  the 
proprietors ! 

But  this  matter  has  a  serious  as  well  as  a  ludicrous  side: 
What  is  the  proper  epithet  to  apply  to  those  who,  knowingly 
and  intentionally,  impress  on  the  ignorant  lay  public  that  one 
can  with  impunity  expose  himself  to  small-pox,  cholera,  typhoid 
or  scarlet  fever,  or  measles,  by  taking  a  few  drops  of  very 
dilute  carbolic  acid,  or  by  sprinkling  a  little  on  sawdust? 
What  must  be  the  consequences  to  those  who  trust  in  these 
assurances?  And  what  should  be  the  lawful  penalty  for  those 
whose  blunted  moral  instincts  permit  them  wilfully  to  endan- 
ger the  lives  of  others  for  a  little  financial  gain?  It  would 
be  interesting  to  know  the  real  opinion  of  the  responsible  mem- 
bers of  the  firm  of  Hance  Bros.  &  White  on  these  questions. 

The  Montyon  Prize  was  awarded  by  the  French  Institute  in 
1861 — forty-six  years  ago — how  many  victims  a  year? — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  9,  1907.) 


QUININ  ARSENATE 
Report   of  the   Council   on  Pharmacy   and   Chemistry 

The  advisability  of  admitting  quinin  arsenate  as  a  non-pro- 
prietary article  to  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  was  taken  up 
for  consideration  by  the  Council  and  the  product  was  referred 
to  a  committee  on  chemistry.  This  committee  recommended 
that  the  opinion  of  the  staff  of  clinical  consultants  should  be 
obtained  relative  to  the  value  of  this  product.  This  was  done 
and  on  the  staff's  recommendation  the  drug  was  refused  recog- 
nition and  the  Council  ordered  the  following  statements  to  be 
published.  W.  A.  PUCKNEK,  Secretary. 

Quinin  arsenate  is  the  secondary  quinin  salt  of  arsenic  acid. 
It  contains  8  per  cent,  of  elementary  arsenic  and  69  per  cent, 
of  anhydrous  quinin.  0.1  gm.  (iy2  grains)  would  be  equiva- 
lent to  approximately  .092  gm.  (1  9/20  grains)  of  quinin  sul- 
phate and  to  0.032  gm.  (%  grain)  of  sodium  arsenate  (five 
times  the  official  dose).  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  proportions  of 
the  two  chief  ingredients  in  the  salt  are  such  that  an  efficient 
dose  of  quinin  cannot  be  given  in  this  form  without  introduc- 
ing a  dangerous  amount  of  arsenic.  As  it  does  not  appear  that 
this  preparation  possesses  any  properties  that  might  not  be 
found  in  a  mixture  of  quinin  salts  and  various  preparations 
of  arsenic,  and  as  it  has  no  advantage  over  other  forms  of 


!)S  PROPAGANDA      l-'<>lt     /,'/-;/-'o/M/ 

arsenic  now  available  there  is  no  reason  for  including  it 
among  unofficial  non-proprietary  remedies.  Attempts  to  sub- 
stitute it  for  other  quinin  salts  would  be  likely  to  lead  to 
overdosing  with  arsenic. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July 
16,  1910.) 


QUININ  TANNATE 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  following  report  was  adopted  by  the  Council  and  its 
publication  authorized.  In  accordance  with  the  recommenda- 
tion, the  description  of  quinin  tannate,  appearing  in  New  and 
Nonofficial  Remedies  department  of  this  issue,  requires  a  qui- 
nin content  of  not  less  than  29  per  cent,  and  lists,  as  brands 
which  comply  with  this  standard,  the  products  sold  by  the 
Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works,  the  New  York  Quinin  and 
Chemical  Works  and  the  Powers-Weightrnan-Rosengarten 
Company.  W.  A.  FUCKNEE,  Secretary. 

Quinin  tannate,  being  almost  insoluble  in  water,  is  prac- 
tically tasteless  and  therefore  adapted  for  administration  to 
children  in  the  form  of  mixtures  (suspensions).  Although  the 
absorption  of  this  quinin  salt  is  claimed  to  be  somewhat  uncer- 
tain and  its  tannin  content  is  an  objection,  the  Council  decided 
to  describe  it  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  because  of  its 
general  availability  and  its  rather  general  recognition.  But 
in  view  of  the  common  unreliability  of  little  used  substances, 
the  actual  description  of  quinin  tannate  in  New.  and  Non- 
official  Remedies  was  postponed  until  the  market  supply  could 
be  examined  and  standards  for  the  preparation  formulated. 

An  exhaustive  and  critical  search  of  the  literature,  as  well 
as  a  chemical  investigation  of  this  substance,  has  been  made 
in  the  Association's  chemical  laboratory.  The  results  of  this 
investigation  were  reported  by  W.  A.  Puckner  and  L.  E.  War- 
ren in  a  paper  read  before  the  Scientific  Section  of  the  Ameri- 
can Pharmaceutical  Association,  and  to  be  published  in  the 
Annual  Reports  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory.  In  brief  the 
findings  are: 

Quinin  tannate  is  official  in  most  foreign  pharmacopeias, 
but  not  in  that  of  the  United  States.  In  some  of  them  meth- 
ods for  preparation  are  given  and  the  official  product  in  all 
cases  is  required  to  contain  not  less  than  30  per  cent,  of 
anhydrous  quinin  alkaloid.  The  methods  prescribed  by  these 
pharmacopeias,  however,  were  found  in  the  Association's  labo- 
ratory to  yield  products  which  did  not  contain  the  stated 
amount  of  alkaloid.  As  a  result  of  considerable  experimenta- 
tion and  congultation  with  the  manufacturers  of  quinin  tannate 
in  this  country,  a  simple  method  of  making  the  substance  was 
worked  out,  which  will  enable  anyone  at  all  familiar  with 
pharmaceutical  operations  to  make  a  preparation  of  good 
quality. 


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100  PROPAGANDA     FOR    REFORM 

Four  commercial  brands  of  quinin  tannate  were  examined 
with  the  results  shown  in  the  accompanying  table.  From 
these  findings  it  appears  that  the  quinin  tannate  of  the  New 
York  Quinin  and  Chemical  Works  is  of  good  quality  and  con- 
tains more  than  30  per  cent,  quinin.  The  products  of  the 
Brunswick  Chemical  Works  (Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works, 
selling  agents)  and  the  Power s-Weightrnan-Rosengarten  Co. 
are  satisfactory  except  that  their  quinin  content  is  somewhat 
low.  The  Merck  brand  contains  about  9  per  cent,  of  free 
quinin,  is  bitter  and  is,  therefore,  not  fit  for  use.  The  poor 
quality  of  this  brand  is  a  further  illustration  of  the  need  of 
controlling  the  quality  of  medicines,  particularly  when  these 
are  not  of  much  commercial  importance. 

Inasmuch  as  the  authors  have  shown  that  quinin  tannate 
with  more  than  30  per  cent,  quinin  can  readily  be  made,  a 
preparation  with  less  alkaloid  should  not  be  permitted.  How- 
ever, as  two  brands  approach  this  standard  and.  as  the  inter- 
ested firms  will  not  find  it  difficult  to  meet  the  proposed 
standard,  the  referee  recommends  a  temporary  standard  of 
not  less  than  29  per  cent,  quinin,  which  standard  is  to  be 
increased  so  as  to  require  a  quinin  content  of  not  less  than 
30  per  cent,  by  Jan.  1,  1913.  It  is  recommended  that  the 
description  of  quinin  tannate  submitted  be  accepted  for  inclu 
sion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  and  that  the  product 
of  the  New  York  Quinin  and  Chemical  Works,  of  the  Bruns- 
wick Chemical  Works  (Mallinckrodt  Chemical  Works,  selling 
agents),  and  of  the  Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten  Co.  be 
listed  as  brands  which  meet  the  requirements  of  this  descrip- 
tion. It  is  further  recommended  that,  beginning  with  1913,  a 
quinin  content  of  from  30  per  cent,  to  35  per  cent,  be  required. 

In  order  that  physicians  may  know  the  facts  in  the  case, 
it  is  recommended  that  publication  of  this  report  be  authorized. 

COMMENT  :  In  order  that  pharmacists  might  be  in  a  position 
to  dispense  a  good  quality  of  quinin  tannate,  the  examination 
of  the  Association's  chemical  laboratory  above  referred  to  was 
presented  to  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  at  its 
recent  annual  meeting  in  Boston.  While  the  very  simple  direc- 
tions for  its  preparation  which  were  worked  out  should  make 
it  possible  for  every  pharmacist  to  prepare  his  supply  of  this 
drug,  it  was  feared  that  the  pharmacist  would  continue  to 
place  his  faith  in  the  drug  as  found  on  the  market  and  hence 
the  quality  of  the  several  available  brands  was  also  given  in 
the  report.  This  would  have  enabled  the  pharmacist  to  give 
preference  to  those  brands  which  were  shown  by  examination 
to  be  of  a  satisfactory  grade.  Unfortunately  for  the  pharma- 
cist, as  well  as  for  the  physician  and  his  patients,  those  inter- 
ests which  are  not  in  sympathy  with  the  Association's  policy 
of  giving  publicity  to  the  makers  of  worthless  or  adulterated 
drugs,  appear  to  have  been  in  control  when  the  paper  was  read 
and  were  able  to  carry  a  motion  that  the  names  of  manufac- 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  101 

turers  be  omitted  from  the  paper  when  it  should  appear  in  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association's  publication.  In  view 
of  this,  physicians  who  use  quinin  tannate  should,  in  their 
prescription,  take  the  precaution  to  specify  a  brand  of  the 
drug  which  was  shown  to  be  reliable  or,  perhaps  better  still, 
indicate  that  they  want  a  brand  which  corresponds  with  the 
standards  established  by  the  Council,  by  appending  the  letters 
N.  N.  R.,  thus  "Quininse  tannas,  N.  N.  R." — (From  The  Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  14,  1911.) 


STRYCHNIN   ARSENATE 
Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

The  Council,  after  considering  the  advisability  of  admitting 
to  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  the  unofficial,  non-proprie- 
tary preparation,  strychnin  arsenate,  decided  not  to  admit  it, 
and  authorized  publication  of  the  following  report. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Strychnin  arsenate  is  a  compound  of  the  alkaloid  strychnin 
with  arsenic  acid,  containing  between  68  and  70  per  cent,  of 
anhydrous  strychnin.  It  is  a  white,  crystalline  powder  of 
small,  colorless  or  faintly  yellowish,  transparent  or  slightly 
opaque  prisms,  or  in  white  acicular  crystals,  odorless  but 
extremely  bitter.  It  is  sloAvly  soluble  in  about  20  parts  of 
water  at  25  C.,  more  readily  soluble  in  hot  water,  slightly 
soluble  in  alcohol,  insoluble  in  chloroform  or  ether. 

After  considering  the  properties  of  this  substance  the 
Council  voted  not  to  accept  it  for  N.  N.  R.,  as  there  is  no 
sufficient  reason  for  combining  two  powerful  remedies  in  such 
form.  As  a  chemical  combination  there  appears  to  be  no 
objection  to  it,  as  the  compound  is  sufficiently  definite,  but 
the  readiness  with  which  the  salt  separates  into  its  constitu- 
ents, strychnin  and  arsenic  acid,  indicates  that  it  can  present 
no  advantages  over  a  mixture  of  its  components  so  far  as 
pharmacologic  action  and  therapeutic  use  are  concerned.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  is  both  unscientific  and  irrational  to  pre- 
scribe two  such  energetic  remedies  having  quite  different  indi- 
cations under  such  a  fixed  form  that  the  efficient  dose  of  one 
may  involve  an  unsuitable  and  perhaps  dangerous  dose  of  the 
other. 

If  a  dose  of  strychnin  arsenate  equivalent  to  0.002  gm. 
(1/32  grain)  of  strychnin  sulphate  is  given,  the  patient  would 
receive  about  0.00063  gm.  (1/100  grain)  of  arsenic  acid,  which 
is  about  one-fifth  the  official  dose.  On  the  other  hand,  strych- 
nin arsenate  cannot  be  used  to  bring  out  the  therapeutic  effects 
of  arsenic  in  cases  in  which  it  is  necessary  to  push  the  latter 
remedy,  because  this  would  necessitate  the  giving  of  dangerous 
doses  of  strychnin.  A  much  more  appropriate  and  scientific 


102  PltOrAdAMtA      FOR     JtKFOIt.M 

procedure  would  be  to  prescribe  the  medicines  separately  or 
in  an  extemporaneous  pill  or  solution  in  which  the  proportions 
of  the  two  ingredients  could  be  changed  from  time  to  time 
according  to  the  varying  indications  in  the  particular  case. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  2)t,  1910.) 


SUCCUS  ALTERANS 

Report   of  the  Council  on   Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  following  report  was  adopted  by  the  Council: 

It  is  believed  that  unwarranted  and  exaggerated  therapeutic 
claims  are  made  for  Succus  Alterans  by  its  manufacturers, 
Eli  Lilly  &  Co.,  Indianapolis.  In  view  of  the  disastrous  re- 
sults which  may  follow,  if,  from  the  statements  made,  physi- 
cians should  be  led  to  rely  on  the  product  as  a  treatment  for 
syphilis,  it  is  recommended  that  Succus  Alterans  be  refused 
recognition  and  that  this  fact  be  published  with  comments. 
W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

COMMENT:  Succus  alterans  is  a  preparation  which  has  been 
put  on  the  market  for  some  years  by  Eli  Lilly  &  Co.,  as  a  rem- 
edy for  syphilis.  The  serious  character  of  this  disease  and 
especially  the  deplorable  results  that  ensue  from  its  improper 
or  insufficient  treatment,  should  make  a  firm  hesitate  t<> 
advise  any  treatment  for  it  which  experience  has  not  demon- 
strated to  be  at  least  as  efficacious  as  that  which  is  generally 
accepted  and  well  proved.  Succus  alterans  is  the  result  of  a 
combination  of  circumstances;  no  one  person  is  responsible  for 
it.  It  was  probably  the  natural  desire  for  a  remedy  free 
from  the  occasional  injurious  results  of  mercury  that  led  Dr. 
J.  Marion  Sims  to  advocate  the  use  of  a  collection  of  in- 
digenous American  plant  drugs,  sarsaparilla,  stillingia,  xan- 
thoxylum,  etc.,  which  had  a  local  reputation  for  the  cure  of 
syphilis.  These  drugs  are  supposed  to  be  inert  when  the  dried 
plants  were  used,  and  this  gave  an  opportunity  for  the  devel- 
opment of  a  rostrum.  The  ingredients  are  well  known,  but 
as  their  virtues  are  supposed  to  be  lost  in  drying,  the  physi- 
cian can  not  have  his  druggist  compound  them,  but  must,  per- 
force, prescribe  the  proprietary  combination. 

Those  who  consented  to  experiment  with  the  new  remedy 
soon  found  that  the  claims  to  curative  properties  were  un- 
founded, but  the  strong  commercial  interests  backing  it  have 
prolonged  its  Ine  to  the  present  time.  Authorities  on  syphilis 
either  say  nothing  about  the  preparation  or  mention  it  merely 
to  condemn;  but  the  proprietors  of  the  nostrum  continue  to 
assert  that  it  is  not  only  practically  a  specific  in  syphilis,  but 
now  recommend  it  for  various  derangements  of  the  blood  and 
all  sorts  of  skin  diseases. 

This  being  the  case,  what  shall  the  wise  physician  do? 
Shall  he  blindly  follow  an  authority  of  a  past  generation  or 
shall  he  recognize  that  the  claims  of  an  interested  manufac- 


COl'Xi'lL     /.'A'/'o /,"/>•  103 

turer  ought  not  to  weigh  against  the  consensus  of  his  present- 
day  confreres  who  have  given  the  treatment  of  syphilis  their 
special  attention?  The  exploitation  of  such  a  preparation  is 
deserving  of  strong  censure.  By  such  methods  the  firm  places 
itself  on  the  same  plane  as  those  nostrum  venders,  who  ad- 
vertise certain  antiseptic  sprays  and  gargles  as  cures  for  epi- 
demic meningitis  and  diphtheria  and  thereoy  deprive  credulous 
victims  of  the  curative  antitoxin  treatment.  Succus  alterans 
is  not  a  new  remedy  on  trial  for  its  possibilities  of  im- 
provement in  therapeutics;  it  is  an  old  mixture  which  has 
been  tried  and  found  wanting. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
June  26,  1909.) 


SULPHO-LYTHIN 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 

Sulpho-Lythin  is  sold  by  the  Laine  Chemical  Company, 
New  York.  In  the  literature  sent  to  physicians  it  is  said: 
"This  product,  the  sulpho-phosphite  of  sodium  and  lithium 
(non-effervescent),  is  entirely  new  and  is  unique  in  its  action." 

Chemical  analysis  of  a  specimen  of  Sulpho-Lythin  pur- 
chased in  the  open  market  indicated  its  composition  to  be: 

Sodium    sulphate,    anhydrous 10.51 

Disodium  hydrogen  phosphate,  anhydrous 56.67 

Sodium   thiosulphate,   anhydrous 20.78 


Sodium   chlorid 
Lithium,    as    citrate.  . 

Sulphur,    free    

Moisture    .  . 


5.98 
3.12 
0.16 
1.53 


Loss     1.25 

The  examination,  therefore,  shows  that  Sulpho-Lythiu  is 
a  mixture  consisting  mainly  of  sodium  sulphate  and  sodium 
phosphate  and  sodium  thiosulphate.  The  statement  that  it  is 
a  "sulpho-phosphite  of  sodium  and  lithium,"  therefore,  is  not 
correct,  and  a  statement  that  "it  is  entirely  new  and  unique 
in  its  action"  appears  unwarranted  and  misleading.  It  is, 
therefore,  recommended  that  the  preparation  be  refused  recog- 
nition. It  is  also  recommended  that  an  article  be  prepared 
for  publication  calling  attention  to  the  exaggerated  claims 
made  for  Sulpho-Lythin. 

The  recommendations  of  the  subcommittee  were  adopted  by 
the  Council  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  report  is  pub- 
lished, with  comments,  substantially  as  follows:  The  formula 
means  that  it  is  a  solution  of  well-known  salts,  some  of  them 
under  partially  disguised  names.  Every  one  knows  what 
Glauber's  salts  are  good  for.  Disodium  hydrogen  phosphate 
is  ordinary  common  sodium  phosphate.  Sodium  thiosulphate 
is  familiar  as  sodium  hyposulphite,  the  "hypo"  of  the  pho- 
tographers. Every  one  knows,  of  course,  that  sodium  chlorid 
is  common  salt.  Examination  and  analysis  of  various  speci- 
mens of  this  product  demonstrated  that  its  composition  is  not 


104  /'A'O/'.U/.LWU     roil     JtKFORM 

always  the  same.  As  an  indication  of  the  ignorance  of  the 
promoters  of  this  nostrum  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
label  on  one  of  the  bottles  purchased  states  that  it  is  a  "sul- 
phophosphate"  instead  of  a  sulphophosphite.  Extravagant 
claims  are  made  for  this  simple  mixture  of  laxative  salts,  and 
these  with  the  methods  of  using  it  are  printed  on  the  labels, 
and  while  it  is  claimed  to  be  only  advertised  to  the  profes- 
sion, the  physician  is  repeatedly  advised  in  the  advertisements 
to  "order  always  an  original  (six  ounce)  bottle  to  prevent 
substitution."  The  natural  result  of  this  would  be,  of  course, 
to  put  the  patient  in  the  way  of  prescribing  it  for  himself 
and  to  spread  the  advertisement  of  the  drug  among  the  pub- 
lic. Difficulty  has  been  experienced  in  finding  out  who  the 
promoters  of  this  nostrum  are  and  the  correspondence  in 
regard  to  it  is  published.  They  seem  to  prefer  to  be  known 
by  their  corpdrate  title  of  Laine  Chemical  Company  only.  It 
is  a  sample  of  many  other  so-called  ethical  proprietary  drugs, 
most  of  which  are  simple  mixtures  of  well-known  drugs  which 
physicians  are  using  every  day  and  which  require  no  skill 
in  their  compounding.  Their  proprietors  not  only  presume 
to  sell  and  advertise  medicines  but  also  to  tell  the  physicians 
how  to  treat  their  patients. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  8,  1906.) 


TYREE'S  ANTISEPTIC  POWDER* 

Report    of    the    Council    on    Pharmacy    and    Chemistry    with 
Comments 

Tyree's  antiseptic  powder  was  assigned  for  examination  to 
a  subcommittee  of  the  Council,  which  made  the  following 
report : 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — Your  sub- 
committee, to  whom  was  assigned  Tyree's  Pulv.  Antiseptic 
Comp.,  marketed  by  J.  S.  Tyree,  Washington,  D.  C.,  reports  as 
follows:  The  label  on  the  package  states:  "This  preparation 
is  a  scientific  combination  of  borate  of  sodium,  alumen,  car- 
bolic acid,  glycerin  and  the  crystallized  principles  of  thyme, 
eucalyptus,  gaultheria  and  mentha,  in  the  form  of  a  powder," 
etc. 

The  statement  that  the  powder  contains  the  crystalline 
principles  of  thyme,  eucalyptus,  gaultheria  and  mentha  is 
vague  and  misleading,  since  the  chief  medical  constituents  of 
eucalyptus  and  gaultheria  are  liquids,  but  it  tends  to  convey 
the  impression  that  the  powder  contains  the  essential  constitu- 
ents of  these  drugs,  namely,  thymol,  oil  of  eucalyptus  or 
eucalvptol,  oil  of  wintergreen,  or  methyl  salicylate,  and  men- 
thol. " 

The  literature  supplied  to  physicians  claims  its  composition 
to  be:  "Parts,  sod.  bor.,  50;  alumien,  50;  ac.  carbol.,  5;  gly- 
cerin, 5;  the  cryst.  principles  of  thyme,  5;  eucalyptus,  5; 
gaultheria,  5,  and  mentha,  5." 

*  For  another  article  on   this  product,  see   Index. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  10.1 

The  composition,  therefore,  might  be  expressed  as  follows: 

Sodium  boratc  (borax) 50  parts,  or  38.40  per  cent. 

Alum  50  parts,  or  38.46  per  cent. 

Phenol  (carbolic  acid) 5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent. 

Glycerin  5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent. 

Thymol  5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent. 

Oil  of  eucalyptus  or  eu- 

calyptol  5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent. 

Oil  of  gaultheria  (or  methyl 

salicylate)  5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent. 

Menthol  5  parts,  or  3.85  per  cent 

Analysis  of  specimens  purchased  from  different  sources  in 
the  open  market  were  made  under  our  direction.  The  reports 
of  the  chemists  show  that  Tyree's  antiseptic  powder  contains 
no  borax,  or  mere  traces  only,  and  that  it  contains  no  alum, 
or  mere  traces  only.  Instead,  the  analyses  show  that  boric 
acid  and  zinc  sulphate  are  the  essential  constituents.  The 
amounts  of  carbolic  acid,  thymol,  menthol,  etc.,  contained 
in  the  powder,  if  present,  were  far  below  the  quantities  indi- 
cated by  the  fornuila.  The  presence  of  glycerin  could  not.  be 
demonstrated,  and,  if  present,  the  amount  must  be  very  small. 

One  chemist  reports:  The  result  of  analysis  shows  that 
different  samples  differ  slightly  in  composition,  but  that  the 
following  indicates  the  average  composition  of  the  product: 

Per  cent. 

Zinc  sulphate,  anhydrous 15.56 

Boric  acid    81.26 

Volatile  matter  at  100°  C.  for  four  hours 0.45 

The  undetermined  portion  consists  of  salicylic  acid,  carbolic 
acid,  menthol  and  eucalyptol;  possibly  other  antiseptic  agents 
may  be  present  in  very  minute  quantities. 

From  the  above  findings  we  conclude  that  Tyree's  antiseptic 
powder  is  a  mixture  of  boric  acid  and  dried  zinc  sulphate  and 
antiseptic  bodies,  such  as  menthol,  salicylic  acid  and  carbolic 
acid,  eucalyptol,  etc.  From  this  it  can  be  readily  seen  that 
the  label  which  is  supposed  to  set  forth  the  composition  of 
Tyree's  antiseptic  powder  is  not  in  accord  with  the  facts. 
The  powder  does  not  contain  either  borate  of  sodium  or  alum, 
and  the  presence  of  glycerin  could  not  be  established.  The 
antiseptic  agents,  exclusive  of  the  boric  acid,  are  present  only 
in  small  amounts. 

The  report  of  another  analysis  concludes  as  follows: 

It  evidently  contains  less  than  the  amount  stated  of  the 
principles  of  thyme,  eucalyptus,  wintergreen  and  mint.  It 
also  contains  a  very  small  amount  indeed  of  carbolic  acid, 
much  less  than  that  stated.  We  have  been  unable  to  identify 
certainly  the  presence  of  glycerin,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  it 
be  present. 

From  the  result  of  the  analysis  we  feel  confident  that  the 
preparation  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  mixture  of  boric 
acid  and  sulphate  of  zinc. 

The  carbolic  acid,  thyme,  eucalyptus,  wintergreen,  etc.,  if 
present,  are  present  only  in  sufficient  amount  to  give  the 
compound  a  satisfactory  odor. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  J.  S.  Tyree  has  given  wide  publicity 
to  a  formula  which  the  preceding  report  has  shown  to  be  a 


106 

deliberate  misrepresentation  of  facts,  it  is  recommended  that 
the  article  be  refused  recognition  by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry,  and  that  this  report  be  published  in  TIIK 
JOURNAL  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 

The  recommendation  of  the  subcommittee  was  adopted  by 
the  Council  in  accordance  with  which  the  report  is  published. 
W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

Mr.  Tyree,  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Simmons  (which  he  states  he 
writes  at  the  request  of  Dr.  Kebk-r,  of  the  Drug  Laboratory  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture,  though  he  is  under  no  moral 
or  financial  obligation  to  do  so),  says  that  it  has  been  his 
intention  to  inform  the  medical  profession  of  his  reasons  for 
changing  the  formula  of  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder  from  an 
alum  and  borax  base  to  a  boracic  acid  and  zinc  base.  He 
states  that  this  change  was  made  at  the  suggestion  of  promi- 
nent physicians  connected  with  hospital  clinics  on  nose  and 
throat,  venereal  and  other  conditions  and  that  he  has  had  in 
contemplation  the  omission  from  the  label  of  the  various 
conditions  to  which  the  preparation  is  applicable. 

Mr.  Tyree,  it  will  be  seen,  assumes  the  right  to  sell  to  phy- 
sicians a  preparation  with  a  descriptive  formula  which  he 
acknowledges  is  false,  and  that  he  presumes  to  use  his  own 
pleasure  as  to  the  time  when  he  will  inform  them  of  its  true 
composition. 

Mr.  Tyree  does  not  state  when  he  changed  the  formula.  We 
do  not  know  whether  it  was  a  year  ago,  five  years  ago  or  ten 
years  ago,  but  we  do  know  that  the  package  which  was  used 
in  making  the  first  analysis  was  purchased  as  early  as  last 
February,  and  the  first  chemist's  report  was  submitted  to  the 
Council  March  5,  1906.  On  April  4  Mr.  Tyree  was  notified  by 
the  Council  that  the  composition  of  "Tyree's  Antiseptic  Pow- 
der" did  not  correspond  to  the  formula  published  by  him. 

Whether  or  not  Mr.  Tyree  is  justified  in  offering  our  pro- 
fession a  preparation  as  composed  chiefly  of  borax  and  alum 
when  in  reality  it  is  chiefly  composed  of  boric  acid  and  xinc 
sulphate,  we  leave  physicians  to  judge. 

Discrepancies  Between  Facts  and  Claims — Unfortunate 

Attempts  of  Mr.  Tyree  at  Explanation 
A  report  from. the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  on 
Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder  appeared  in  THE  JOURNAL,  Oct.  20, 
1906.  This  showed  that  the  preparation,  advertised  as  a  "sci- 
entific combination  of  borate  of  sodium,  alumen,  carbolic  acid, 
glycerin  and  the  crystallized  principles  of  thyme,  eucalyptus, 
gaultheria  and  mentha,  in  the  form  of  a  powder,"  was  essen- 
tially a  mixture  of  boric  acid  and  sulphate  of  zinc — approxi- 
mately four-fifths  of  the  former  to  one-fifth  of  the  latter. 
"The  carbolic  acid,  thyme,  eucalyptus,  wintergreen,  etc.,  if 
present,  are  present  only  in  sufficient  amount  to  give  the  com- 
pound a  satisfactory  odor."  As  will  be  remembered,  in  the 


col  \<'IL     REPORTS  107 

correspondence  published  at  that  time.  Mr.  •  Tyree  attempted 
to  explain  the  discrepancies  between  his  statements  and  the 
proved  facts  by  intimating  that  he  had  recently  changed  the 
formula,  and  that  it  was  his  intention  "on  or  about  the  first 
of  February  to  state  to  the  medical  profession  his  reasons  for 
changing  the  formula,"  and  that  the  change  had  been  made  "a 
short  time  ago,  at  the  suggestion  of  several  prominent  gentle- 
men." Since  that  time,  through  circulars  and  other  advertise- 
ments, Mr.  Tyree  has  attempted  to  explain  the  matter  in  vari- 
ous ways.  In  his  latest  circular  letter  he  seems  to  make  a 
deliberate  attempt  to  mislead  our  profession  and  to  misrepre- 
sent facts  to  a  degree  that  makes  it  almost  impossible  to 
believe  that  the  circular  came  from  a  man  who  claims  to  be 
honorable. 

First,  however,  we  shall  take  this  opportunity  to  publish 
some  matter  which  we  have  had  in  reserve  since  the  first 
expose  was  made  last  October.  When  it  was  realized  that 
Mr.  Tyree  intended  to  defend  himself  by  claiming  that  a 
change  had  recently  been  made  in  the  powder,  we  took  occa- 
sion to  try  to  secure  some  of  the  preparation  that  had  been 
on  the  market  for  a  long  time.  In  this  we  succeeded  very 
well.  From  a  Chicago  druggist  one  package  was  bought 
which  had  been  in  the  store  at  least  since  July,  1902 — how 
much  longer  is  not  known.  The  druggist  from  whom  the  pow- 
der was  obtained  bought  the  drug  store  in  July,  1902,  and  this 
powder  was  on  hand  at  that  time,  none  having  been  bought 
since.  This  particular  powder  was  analyzed  by  a  chemist, 
who  found  the  composition  practically  the  same  as  that  given 
in  the  Council's  report,  this  chemist  estimating  that  it  con- 
tained approximately  81  per  cent,  boric  acid  and  14  per  cent, 
anhydrous  zinc  sulphate.  Bearing  in  mind  that  for  at  least 
four  years  and  ten  months  Tyree's  Powder  has  been  essentially 
the  same  as  it  is  to-day,  this  letter  is  very  interesting:  (The 
comments  in  brackets  are,  of  course,  ours.) 

"J.    S.    TYREE, 

"CHEMIST, 
"WASHINGTON,  D.  c. 

"April   10,  1007. 


"M II  Dear  Hir: — Doctors  and  medical  publications  of  extreme 
and  prejudicial  minds  often  hold  and  express  opinions  in  hon- 
orable faith,  but  like  all  critics,  they  are  not  always  familiar 
with  the  conditions  composing  their  opinions,  and  are  often 
given  to  expressing  them  without  knowledge  of  the  true 
motives  and  facts  in  the  case. 

"If  you  will  read  an  article  that  appeared  in  one  of  the 
medical  weeklies  some  times  ago  [THE  JOURNAL  of  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association,  of  course]  and  which  has  been  copied 
by  several  of  its  .offsprings  [not  many  we  regret  to  say] 


108  PROPAGANDA      FOJ!     HKI'oltM 

relating  to  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder,  you  will  see  that  I  had 
previously  informed  the  editor  as  well  as  his  council  of  inves- 
tigators, that  at  the  suggestion  of  prominent  physicians,  exten- 
sive clinical  experimenting  [sic]  were  being  made  with  some 
slight  [  !  !  !  ]  changes  in  my  powder,  the  object  being  to 
develop  and  extend  its  usefulness  in  new  lines.  [It  had  already 
been  recommended  for  about  everything.1]  and  at  the  same 
time  make  it  more  acceptable  to  the  general  run  of  the  pro- 
fession. I  also  notified  this  editor  that  these  investigations 
would  not  be  completed  until  the  first  of  the  present  year, 
after  which  time  these  slight  [  !  !  !  ]  changes  in  the  formula 
of  Tyree's  Powder  would  be  announced,  lit  is  now  the  middle 
of  May;  when  and  where  were  the  changes  announced?2] 

"There  is  nothing  new,  startling  or  dangerous  in  such 
changes  in  formulas.  The  Pharmacopeias  and  national  books 
of  authority  are  continuously  improving  their  formulas.  It 
is  the  same  with  every  preparation  on  the  market.  [Mr. 
Tyree,  as  a  nostrum  maker,  is  in  a  position  to  know.  His 
plea  evidently  is:  "I  am  no  worse  than  others."]  The  appar- 
ent difficulty  in  my  case  is  caused  by  my  exceptional  frank- 
ness ["exceptional  frankness"  is  good  under  the  circumstances] 
with  the  profession  in  telling  them  [when  and  where?]  about 
this  improvement  before  I  was  ready  to  announce  full  details 
and  particulars,  or  place  my  improved  [sic]  powder  on  the 
market.  Yoiirs  very  truly, 

"J.  S.  TYREE." 

For  years  Mr.  Tyree  has  been  misleading  physicians  by  mak- 
ing false  statements  regarding  the  composition  of  his  powder 
and  regarding  its  value  as  a  therapeutic  agent.  When  exposed 
he  tries  to  defend  himself  and  his  business  by  statements  and 
excuses  that  are  worthy  of  a  schoolboy  trying  to  get  out  of  a 
bad  scrape.  We  would  respectfully  suggest  to  him  that  he 
either  take  his  wonderful  powder  off  the  market,  or — which 
would  probably  amount  to  the  same  thing — tell  the  truth,  and 
the  whole  truth,  about  it. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May 
18,  1!)07.) 

1.  From  the  circular  accompanying  a  package  bought  over  a  year 
ago,  we  find  the  powder  recommended  for  the  following  conditions : 
"For   Leucorrhea,   Gonorrhea,   Vaginitis,    Pruritus,    Ulcerated   condi- 
tions of  the  mucus  membrane.     .     .     .     Scrofulous.  Syphilitic  and 
Varicose  Ulcers.    ...     for  Spraying  the  Nose  and  Throat,     .     .     . 
for    immediate    deodorizing    and    disinfecting     ...     for    prickly 
heat,  poison  oak,  squamous  eczema  and  other  conditions  of  similar 
nature.     .     .     .     As  a  deodorant  and  prophylactic  in  dental  work, 
.     .     .     for  disinfecting  offensive  cavities.     ...     for  profuse  and 
offensive  perspiration,  swelling,   soreness  and  burning  of  the  body 
and  feet.     ...     As  a  delightful  toilet  preparation  after  the  bath 
and  shaving." 

2.  Last   January   the   national   Food   and   Drugs   Act   went   into 
effect ;  one  of  its  provisions  is  that  the  label  must  not  lie.    This  is 
not  the  exact  verbiage,  but  it  means  the  same  thing.     So,  instead 
of  repeating  the  old  false  statements,  the  new  label  of  Tyree's  anti- 
septic  powder    contains  nothing    whatever   about   the   composition  ; 
the  law  does  not  require  that  it  should — unless  the  preparation  con- 
tains certain  specified  drugs.     Why  is  the  formula  omitted? 


COUNCIL     REWKTS  109 

THIALION 

Report   of   the   Council   on   Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
The  following  report  was  submitted  to  the  Council  by  a  sub- 
committee   which    examined    Thialion    (Vass    Chemical    Com- 
pany) : 

To  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry: — We  beg  leave 
to  report  on  Thialion  as  follows: 

Thialion  is  sold  by  the  Vass  Chemical  Co.,  Danbury,  Conn. 
In  the  literature  supplied  to  physicians  and  in  the  advertise- 
ments in  medical  journals,  Thialion  is  stated  to  be  "a  laxative 
salt  of  lithia"  with  the  chemical  formula  "3Li2O.NaO.SO3.7HO." 
Sodio-trilithic  anhydrosulphate"  is  given  as  a  synonym.  An 
elaborate  graphic  or  structural  formula  is  also  given. 

According  to  analyses,  this  preparation  is  a  mixture  consist- 
ing chiefly  of  sodium  sulphate  and  sodium  citrate  with  very 
small  amounts  of  lithium,  the  average  of  several  estimations 
indicating  the  following  composition: 

Sodium    citrate    58.6 

Sodium   sulphate,    anhydrous 26.6 

Sodium    chlorid     3.3 

Lithium    citrate,    anhydrous 1.8 

Water    9.7 

Thus,  the  advertising  literature  is  a  deliberate  misrepresen- 
tation of  the  facts.  It  is,  therefore,  recommended  that  the 
preparation  be  refused  recognition,  and  that  this  report  be 
published. 

The  recommendations  of  the  subcommittee  were  adopted  by 
the  Council  and  in  accordance  therewith  the  above  report  is 
published.  W.  A.  PUCKNEE,  Secretary. 

In  publishing  the  above  report,  the  Council  is  presenting  to 
the  medical  profession  another  object  lesson,  and  one  that 
illustrates  how  easily  our  profession  is  being  humbugged. 
There  are  several  things  that  we  may  learn  from  the  report 
on  this  nostrum,  but  at  this  time  we  will  take  up  only  one 
phase  of  the  lesson.  Many  of  the  scientific  chemical  com- 
pounds and  derivatives  given  us  by  the  German  chemists  have 
been  distinct  advancements  and  have  proved  to  be  valuable  ad- 
ditions to  our  therapeutic  agents;  further,  they  were  received 
with  so  much  favor  by  physicians  that  they  have  been  profit- 
able for  those  who  made  them.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore, 
that  imitators  should  appear.  One  of  the  first  was  our  old 
friend,  Antikamnia  ( which  was  introduced  as  a  "new  synthet- 
ical" compound).  This  was  followed  by  Ammonol,  Phenalgin, 
Salacetin,  and  a  host  of  others  having  acetanilid  as  their  prin- 
cipal ingredient. 

But  there  are  hundreds  of  other  so-called  "new  chemical" 
compounds  among  the  "ethical"  proprietaries  on  the  market 
aside  from  the  acetanilid  mixtures.  These  wonderful  com- 
pounds, by  the  mysterious  union  of  their  ingredients,  possess 


110 


I'JtOi:  I  (1. 1 M).  1      r()R     REFORM 


therapeutic  properties  different  from,  or  more  powerful  for 
good  than  the  drugs  from  which  they  are  made.  At  least,  this 
is  what  we  are  told,  and  this  is  what  many  believe  or  they 
would  not  sell  so  well. 

There  is  another  factor  worth  noticing  connected  with  this 
subject:  When  to  the  claim  that  the  mixture  is  a  "chemical 
compound"  is  added  a  complex  chemical  formula,  it  prevents 
the  impertinent  question,  "What  is  it?"  or  isn't  the  "formula" 
there,  and  is  not  the  information  given  without  the  asking? 
Most  of  us  have  been  so  overcome  by  the  display  of  the  chem- 
ical knowledge  of  the  nostrum  maker  that  we  have  been  afraid 
to  expose  our  ignorance  by  asking  for  information  or  explana- 
tion. And  thus  the  promoter  avoids  perplexing  questions, 
which,  if  answered  truthfully,  would  spell  bankruptcy. 


CHEMICAL  I  3l.i2O.  NaO,  SO3.  7HO 

FORMULA:  j  (Soetio-trtlttlnc  anhyttrosulphate). 


^ 

.-0  - 
^0- 


GRAPHIC  FORMULA- 
N*0      0* 

V 


This  picturesque  "graphic  formula"  for  Thialion  appears  with 
many  of  the  advertisement*.  To  most  of  us  it  looks  formidable, 
wonderfully  and  deeply  scientific  and  non-understandable ;  to  a 
chemist  it  looks  absurd. 

To  a  chemist  the  formula  of  Thialion  furnished  by  the  Vass 
Chemical  Company  signifies  nothing.  To  a  physician  who  pos- 
sesses but  little  knowledge  of  chemistry,  it  will  seem  impres- 
sive, and  he  may  absorb  the  idea  that  it  stands  for  a  prepa- 
ration that  is  the  result  of  exhaustive  scientific  research.  To 
the  chemist,  this  formula  will  appear  as  a  jumble  of  symbols 
and  numbers  that  mean  nothing. 

It  is  not  worth  while  to  call  attention  to  the  simplicity  of 
this  simple  mixture  of  ordinary  salts,  for  it  is  too  self-evident. 
As  to  the  remarkable  therapeutic  qualities  of  Thialion,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  that  ably  edited  "scientific"  periodical, 
the  Uric  Acid  Monthly,  and-  to  the  mass  of  "literature"  relat- 
ing to  this  wonderful  remedy. 

While  there  is  a  ridiculous  side  to  this  business,  there  is 
also  a  serious  one.  Those  who  have  been  making  money  out  of 
us  undoubtedly  laugh  in  their  sleeves  at  our  gullibility,  but  to 
us  as  members  of  a  presumably  learned  and  intelligent  pro- 
fession, it  is  not  a  laughing  matter.  The  whole  nostrum  busi- 
ness is  a  shame  and  a  disgrace. — (Modified  from  The  Jnnnml 
A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  3,  1906.) 


COU\<'IL     REPOMTS  111 

UNICORN  ROOT,   WILD  YAM  AND  WILD   INDIGO 
Report    of    the    Council    on    Pharmacy    and    Chemistry 
The  Council  has  voted  that  recognition  be  refused  to  the  fol- 
lowing:     Unicorn  Root   (Aletris  farinosa),  Wild  Yam   (Dios- 
corea  villosa,),  and  Wild  Indigo   (Baptisia  tinctoria)  and  has 
authori/ed  the  publication  of  the  following  statements. 

W.  A.  PUCKXER,  Secretary. 

Unicorn  Root — Aletris  Farinosa 

Unicorn  Root  (Aletris  farinosa)  contains  a  bitter  principle 
and  starch.  Remarkable  powers  as  a  uterine  tonic  have  been 
ascribed  to  it  but  have  not  been  realized  by  reliable  observers, 
the  drug  being  practically  valueless  in  these  conditions.  It 
enters  into  the  composition  of  a  number  of  nostrums.  As  a 
bitter  it  is  superfluous  and  it  should  not  be  included  among 
non-official  drug?. 

Wild  Yam— Dioscorea   Villosa 

Wild  Yam  (Dioscorea .  villosa)  has  been  little  used  in  medi- 
cine. It  contains  a  saponin  and  an  acrid  resin,  and  is  said  to 
possess  expectorant,  diaphoretic  and — in  large  doses — -emetic 
properties.  It  has  been  recommended  as  a  remedy  in  biliary 
colic  and  in  muscular  rheumatism.  Its  value  in  such  condi- 
tions has  not  been  verified  to  an  extent  entitling  it  to  consid- 
eration as  a  useful  remedy. 

Wild  Indigo — Baptisia  Tinctoria 

Wild  Indigo  (Baptisia  tinctoria)  has  been  in  use — chiefly  by 
the  eclectics — for  about  three-quarters  of  a  century,  but  there 
is  no  satisfactory  evidence  that  it  has  any  therapeutic  value. 
The  following  text-books  on  pharmacology  do  not  even  men- 
tion wild  indigo:  Cushny,  Brunton,  Dixon,  Binz,  Sollmann. 
It  is  not  official  in  the  United  States  or  other  leading  pharma- 
copeias. 

A  preparation  of  wild  indigo  is  advertised  with  extravagant 
claims  for  its  therapeutic  action,  but  these  claims  are  not 
supported  by  any  substantial  evidence.  Other  virtues  ascribed 
to  wild  indigo  are  its  properties  as  a  cardiac  and  hepatic  stim- 
ulant and  its  value  in  sepsis,  particularly  in  typhoid  fever. 
It  actually  has  emetic  and  cathartic  properties,  but  even  these 
are  inferior  to  those  possessed  by  many  other  drugs. 

It  is  very  evident  that  a  drug  possessing  the  extraordinary 
merits  that  have  been  claimed  for  wild  indigo  would  not  have 
remained  unnoticed  by  the  leading  authorities  on  pharma- 
cology and  therapeutics,  especially  after  its  prolonged  use  in 
medicine.  Owing,  therefore,  to  the  lack  of  substantial  evi- 
dence of  its  usefulness,  baptisia  is  not  considered  as  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  warrant  its  inclusion  in  the  list  of  non- 
official  drugs.  It  is  probably  entirely  superfluous. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  .!/.  .1..  ./«».  .2.'.  1910.) 


112  PROPAGANDA     FOR    REFORM 

PROPRIETARY  VANADIUM  PREPARATIONS 

Report  of  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  on  Products  of 

Vanadium    Chemical    Co.:     Vanadiol,    Vanadioseptol, 

Phospho-Vanadiol,  Vanadoforme,  Etc. 

Vanadiol  and  preparations  thereof,  the  products  of  the 
Vanadium  Chemical  Company,  were  submitted  to  the  Council. 
After  thorough  investigation  it  was  concluded  that  the  com- 
pany has  not,  and  never  has  had,  any  reliable  evidence  for  the 
therapeutic  claims  it  has  presented  to  the  medical  profession 
regarding  these  products.  Accordingly  the  Council  voted  that 
the  several  products  under  consideration  be  not  accepted  for 
inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies.  The  findings  of 
the  Council  having  been  submitted  to  the  Vanadium  Chemical 
Company  and  its  reply  considered,  the  Council  authorized  pub- 
lication of  the  report  which  appears  below. 

W.  A.  PUCKNEB,  Secretary. 

The  Vanadium  Chemical  Company,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  sub- 
mitted to  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  for  inclu- 
sion in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  the  following  products: 
Vanadiol,  Vanadioseptol,  Phospho-Vanadiol,  Vanadium  Solu- 
tion for  Intravenous  and  Hypodermic  Use  and  Vanadoforme. 
At  the  same  time,  the  company  submitted  statements  and 
"literature"  regarding  the  composition  and  therapeutic  value  of 
these  products.  The  committee  to  which  the  matter  was 
referred,  after  carefully  considering  both  the  matter  presented 
and  certain  modifications  in  the  advertising  matter  to  which 
the  company  consented,  reported  that  the  evidence,  especially 
that  relating  to  the  therapeutic  value  of  the  preparations,  was 
insufficient  to  warrant  the  acceptance  of  the  articles.  Since  the 
validity  of  therapeutic  claims  can  be  determined  to  a  certain 
extent  by  experimental  investigation,  the  Council  decided  to 
postpone  final  action  until  sufficient  dependable  evidence  as  to 
the  therapeutic  value  had  been  submitted. 

Accordingly,  a  series  of  questions  was  sent  to  the  Vanadium 
Chemical  Company  for  the  purpose  of  learning  on  what  phar- 
macologic  evidence  the  therapeutic  claims  were  based.  After 
waiting  several  months,  the  information  requested  not  being 
furnished,  the  Council  took  final  action  on  the  products.  This 
action  was  based  both  on  the  evidence  originally  submitted  and 
on  the  advertising  matter  being  sent  out  by  the  company  at 
the  time. 

Briefly,  Vanadiol  is  said  to  contain  a  compound  of  vanadium 
with  oxygen  and  chlorin,  which  gives  up  its  oxygen  to  readily 
oxidizable  substances,  such  as  the  blood.  In  addition  to  this 
compound  it  contains  an  oxidizing  agent  (sodium  chlorate) 
which  is  said  to  serve  as  a  source  of  oxygen,  so  thai,  accord- 
ing to  the  theory  of  the  promoters,  Vanadiol  acts  in  the 
animal  system  as  an  oxygen-carrier. 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  113 

The  following  is  quoted  from  an  advertising  circular: 

"Most  thorough  and  conclusive  physiological  tests  were  made  on 
guinea-pigs  and  other  animals,  which  established  undoubted  evidence 
as  to  the  truth  of  this  theory. 

"INFLUENCE 

"Under  the  influence  of  Vanadiol  and  the  other  derivatives,  the 
appetite  is  increased,  there  is  greater  ability  to  peptonize  ingested 
proteid  material,  and,  through  the  improvement  in  the  assimilative 
powers  and  the  checking  of  abnormal  fermentations,  leads  to  an 
increase  in  weight.  A  greater  excretion  of  urea  follows  their  use. 
Pliagocytic  action  is  promoted  by  an  increase  in  the  leucocytes.  All 
phases  of  the  elimination  of  waste  materials  are  favored  by  the 
positive  increase  in  the  number  of  red  blood  corpuscles  and  the  per- 
centage of  hemoglobin,  hematogenesis  being  thereby  rendered  more 
perfect.  The  beneficent  effect  of  nascent  (active)  oxygen,  upon  the 
red  corpuscles  and  upon  tissue  cells  of  low  vitality  are  matters  of 
common  knowledge.  The  results  obtained  from  the  vanadium 
derivatives  are  not  drug  effects,  but  are  due  to  improved  metab- 
olism, which  in  turn  is  due  to  the  removal  of  microbian  toxins,  and 
the  general  stimulation  of  cell  activity. 

"In  a  tubercular  organism,  the  action  of  Vanadiol  is  two-fold. 
First,  it  acts  as  an  antiseptic  and  antitoxin,  combating  the  Koch 
bacilli  and  neutralizing  their  poison.  Second,  as  a  reconstituent  of 
the  economy,  to  which  it  furnishes  nascent  oxygen,  fortifying  the 
defenseless  cells  by  the  very  element  that  is  necessary  to  make  them 
healthy  and  resistant." 

"In  Anemia  and  Chlorosis,  the  blood  cells  lack  oxygen,  and  in 
Neurasthenia  the  nerve  cells  are  deficient.  Vanadiol  brings  both 
blood  and  nerve  cells  from  a  condition  of  weakness  and  decay  into 
vital  energy,  by  furnishing  them  with  active  oxygen  in  a  manner 
that  had  not  been  possible  by  any  other  medicine." 

"Vanadiol  accelerates  the  work  of  digestion  by  producing  HC1  in 
small  doses  ;  it  does  not  hinder  the  peptonization  of  albuminoids  as 
do  beta-naphthol,  salicylic  acid,  boric  acid,  etc.,  when  used  as  a 
stomachal  antiseptic,  but  on  the  contrary  it  favors,  by  hydrochloric 
acid,  the  transformation  of  albuminoids  into  peptone  without  the 
assistance  of  pepsin.  Thus,  Vanadiol,  when  given  to  consumptives, 
favors  the  digestion  of  large  amounts  of  proteid  materials  and 
causes  oxidation  of  toxins  of  the  stomach.  The  stomachic  action  is 
reflected  in  other  parts  of  the  organism  by  the  stimulation  of  the 
chief  functions  ;  the  pulse  becomes  stronger  and  muscular  strength 
increases  ;  and,  last,  but  of  greatest  importance,  is  the  tremendous 
increase  which  will  be  noted  in  the  hemoglobin  and  the  red  cell 
count." 

"Phospho- Vanadiol,  a  combination  of  Vanadiol  with  an  easily 
assimilable  organic  phosphorus,  is  an  active  accelerator  of  general 
nutrition  with  a  special  action  on  the  nervous  system." 

Such  remarkable  statements  as  these  are  past  credence, 
certainly,  unless  they  are  supported  by  scientific  evidence.  And 
evidence,  either  in  support  or  in  contradiction  of  the  claims 
made,  could  be  obtained;  for  many  of  these  actions,  at  least, 
are  capable  of  proof  by  animal  experimentation.  The  Vana- 
dium Chemical  Company  was  asked  to  furnish  such  proof  but 
failed  to  do  so.  The  inference  is  plain!  The  committee  has 
concluded  that  the  company  has  not,  and  never  has  had,  any 
reliable  evidence  on  which  to  base  the  therapeutic  claims  it 
lias  presented  to  the  medical  profession. 

Here  another  fact  should  be  noted.  It  is  the  connection 
shown  in  THE  JOCBNAL,  June  22,  1912,  of  the  general  manager 


114  /'A'o/'.u/.i.\7>.i     roi;    nr.ro  i;  M 

of  the  Vanadium  Chemical  Company,  F.  M.  Turner,  with  a 
fraudulent  obesity  cure  concern,  the  Dr.  Turner  Company  of 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

It  seems,  moreover,  by  all  the  evidence  available,  that  F.  M. 
Turner  is  not  authorized  to  use  the  title  M.D. ;  yet,  under  this 
title  his  name  appeared  on  cards  representing  the  Vanadium 
Chemical  Company  and  under  this  title,  also,  he  published  an 
article  in  a  medical  journal  recommending  to  the  medical  pro- 
fession the  use  of  Vanadiol.  Later  this  article  was  distributed 
as  an  advertising  circular  by  the  Vanadium  Chemical  Com- 
pany. Turner's  connection  with  the  Dr.  Turner  Company  is 
known  and  acknowledged  by  the  Vanadium  Chemical  Company, 
yet  it  still  retains  him  as  general  manager! 

While  there  is  not  necessarily  any  direct  relation  between 
the  personnel  of  a  proprietary  manufacturing  company  and  the 
value  of  that  company's  product,  it  is  natural  that  the  medical 
profession  should  view  with  distrust  any  concern  managed  by 
one  who  has  previously  been  connected  with  such  a  fraud  as 
the  Turner  obesity  cure. 

The  committee  therefore  recommends  that  the  preparations 
of  the  Vanadium  Chemical  Company  be  refused  recognition. 
and  that  this  report  be  authorized  for  publication.  (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  18,  1913.) 


VIN  MARIANI 

Report  by  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry — With  Com- 
ments Thereon 

This  preparation  was  assigned  to  a  subcommittee  of  the 
C'buncil  and  the  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  report  of  the 
committee : 

Samples  of  Vin  Mariani  and  of  the  literature  distributed 
by  the  manufacturers  were  examined. 

It  appears  that  the  beverage  or  medicine  known  as  "Vin 
Mariani"  is  a  preparation  of  red  wine,  apparently 
imported  from  Bordeaux,  and  fortified,  in  this  country. 
by  an  alcoholic  preparation  of  coca  leaves  or  other  pa  its 
of  the  coca  plant. 

The  committee  considered  first,  the  character  of  the  red 
wine  as  imported.  A  sample  received  from  the  port  of 
New  York,  March  10,  1905.  from  Henry  Clausel  &  Co., 
Bordeaux,  and  consigned  to  Mariani  &  Co.,  on  analysis  was 
found  to  ha've  the  following  composition: 

Specific  gravity   o.it'.i.v.i 

Alcohol    by   volume per  cent.  KI.'.I'.I 

Kxtract     per  cent.  2.279 

Volatile  acids    per  cent.  0.0914 

Ash    per  cent.  0.2801 

Reducing  sugar   trace. 

Pol.  direct   degrees  — 0.8 

Pol.  invert  degrees  — 0.7 

.  K.So Mg.  per  liter  0.092 


COUNCIL    /,'/-:/'o /."/>•  11 

A  sample  of  \\\\  Mariani,  as  bought  in  the  open  market 
in  an  original  package,  has  also  been  analyzed  and  found 
to  have  the  following  composition: 

Specific  gravity   1.0125 

Alcohol  by  volume    per  cent.  16.15 

Extract per  cent  8.602 

Ash    per  cent  0.277 

( Jl yceriii per  cent  0.444 

Volatile  acid    .  .  .  '. per  cent  0.0747 

Tartaric  acid per  cent  0.2400 

Alkaloids    (coca  bases) per  cent  0.0250 

Cane  sugar    per  cent  2.35 

Reducing  sugar   per  cent.  3.38 

The  increased  alcoholic  strength  of  Vin  Mariani  over  the 
Bordeaux  wine,  from  which  it  is  made,  as  shown  by  this 
analysis,  doubtless  comes  from  the  alcohol  extract  contain- 
ing the  coca  bases,  as  already  stated.  Approximately  C 
per  cent,  of  sugar  is  also  added  to  the  wine.  Judging 
from  the  analysis,  therefore,  Vin  Mariani  corresponds  to  a 
mixture  of  an  alcoholic  preparation  of  coca  leaves  and 
ordinary  Bordeaux  red  wine,  with  the  addition  of  about 
6  per  cent,  of  sugar. 

Vin  Mariani  conflicts  with  Rule  5,  which  requires  that 
"No  article  will  be  admitted  or  retained,  concerning  which 
the  manufacturer  or  his  agents  make  misleading  state- 
ments as  to  geographical  source,  raw  material  from  which 
made,  or  method  of  collection,  or  preparation,"  by  stating 
in  the  advertising  literature  that:  "The  United  States 
government,  under  the  Pure  Food  Law  of  March  3,  1903, 
further  emphasizes  all  previous  analyses  of  Vin  Mariani 
by  admitting  Mariani's  wine  as  absolutely  pure  and 
unadulterated." 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  intent  of  the  above  state- 
ment, its  effect  is  to  deceive.  The  conjunction  of  the  terms 
"Vin  Mariani"  and  "Mariani's  wine"  can  only  be  con- 
strued as  meaning  the  same  thing.  Inasmuch  as  it  does 
not  appear  that  Vin  Mariani  is  imported  into  this  country, 
it  would  not  have  been  possible  for  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment to  inspect  it,  and  as  to  the  wine  obtained  from 
Henry  Clausel  &  Co.,  from  Bordeaux,  it  is  not  in  any 
sense  Mariani's  wine  except  that  of  ownership.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  the  committee  that  this  phrase  can  only  result 
in  deception  and  the  construction  of  the  language  strongly 
favors  the  supposition  that  it  is  intentionally  meant  to 
deceive. 

This  false  claim  is  practically  repeated  in  the  other 
pamphlets  published  by  the  Vin  Mariani  Company,  al- 
though not  always  in  the  same  words. 

This  preparation  also  conflicts  with  Rule  6,  which  states 
that  "No  article  will  be  admitted  or  retained  of  which  the 
manufacturer  or  his  agents  make  unwarranted,  exag- 
gerated or  misleading  statements  as  to  therapeutic  value." 
in  that  the  firm's  letter-heads  have  printed  on  them  the 
following: 

"Vin  Mariani  purifies  the  blood  stream,  strengthens 

the  circulation,   stimulates  muscular  fiber  and  nerve 

tissue,    is    a    respiratory    stimulant,    strengthens    the 


116  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

heart  muscles,  and  is  an  emergency  food  in  the  absence 
of  all  other  nutriment.  Successfully  employed  as  an 
adjuvant  in  anemia,  debility,  diseases  of  the  chest, 
nervous  troubles,  muscular  or  mental  overstrain, 
neurasthenia,  and  allied  conditions,  and  in  certain 
cases  of  protracted  convalescence." 

The  committee  believes  that  Vin  Mariani  is  intended  as 
a  beverage  rather  than  as  a  medicine. 

The   report   concludes : 

"The  committee  recommends,  therefore,  that  Vin  Mariani 
be  -refused  recognition  and  that  this  report  be  published  in 
full  or  in  part." 

In  accordance  with  this  recommendation  the  above  extract 
of  the  report  is  herewith  published. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

VIX   MARIANI   MADE   IN   THIS   COUNTRY 

According  to  the  above  report,  Vin  Mariani  as  imported  is 
simply  an  ordinary  cheap  French  wine,  the  preparation  sold  in 
this  country  as  Vin  Mariani  being  compounded  in  this  coun- 
try. Yet  the  advertising  literature,  the  label  on  the  bottle, 
etc.,  state  directly  or  indirectly  that  it  is  a  French  prepara- 
tion. Until  recently — presumably  until  the  vendors  realized 
that  the  truth  regarding  this  point  would  come  out — the 
advertisements  in  medical  journals  contained  an  analysis  made 
by  a  chemist  in  Paris.  The  shape  of  the  bottle,  the  character 
of  the  printed  matter  accompanying  the  bottle,  etc.,  are  evi- 
dently intended  to  convey  the  impression  that  it  is  imported. 
So  far,  then,  as  this  point  is  concerned,  Vin  Mariani  is  sold 
under  gross  misrepresentations  and  is  a  fraud. 

ADVERTISED   TO   THE  PUBLIC 

Vin  Mariani  was  at  one  time  advertised  to  the  public  in  this 
country,  but,  so  far  as  we  know,  it  is  not  at  the  present 
time;  at  least,  not  directly.  Yet  it  is  most  effectively  adver- 
tised to  the  public  indirectly,  and  this  with  little  expense  to 
the  promoters,  the  cost  of  the  circular  around  the  bottle  being 
the  only  expense — doctors  who  prescribe  it  do  the  rest.  If 
those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  prescribing  Vin  Mariani  will 
examine  the  advertising  that  goes  into  the  hands  of  their 
patients  they  will  realize  how  true  it  is  that  our  profession  is 
responsible  for  much  of  the  "patent-medicine"  taking.  Few 
laymen  could  withstand  the  temptation  to  buy  the  stuff  for 
any  ailment  that  comes  along  when  they  read  in  the  circular 
that  this  "medicine,"  which  their  doctor  evidently  thinks  is  a 
.good  thing,  is  so  highly  recommended,  for  all  the  ills  that 
befall  us-  mortals,  by  the  Pope  of  Rome,  the  Czar  and  the 
Czarina  of  Russia,  the  Queen  of  England,  the  Shah  of  Persia, 
the  King  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  the  Queen  of  Portugal,  the 
Queen  of  Saxony,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Cambodia,  Ferdinand  of 
Bulgaria,  and  by  a  whole  list  of  ambassadors,  generals,  poli- 
ticians, musician*,  actresses,  etc.  The  testimonials  of  these 


COUNCIL     REPORTS 


117 


great  men  and  women  are  enough  to  convince  the  most  skepti- 
cal that  this  remarkable  medicine  will  do  everything  but  raise 
the  dead — and  under  favorable  circumstances  accomplish  even 
this.  And  still  more — it  will  win  battles!  Witness  this  from 
the  governor-general  of  Madagascar:  "We  were  refreshed  by 
Yin  Mariani,  and  before  morning  carried  the  stronghold." 
Alexandre  Dumas  and  fimile  Zola  are  credited  with  calling  it 
"the  elixir  of  life."  One  very  strange  thing  about  the  testi- 
monials in  the  circular  used  in  this  country  is  that  all  are 
written  by  foreigners.  But  Americans  (President  McKinley — 
think  of  it — among  others)  are  honored  by  having  their  testi- 
monials quoted  in  the  circulars  used  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic.  Why?  Is  it  possible  that  the  testimonials  are 
fakes  ? 


YIN    MARIANI    NOT  A   COCAINE    PREPARATION" 


Regarding  the  Illinois  State  Law  regulating  the  sale  of  Cocaine,  tt  Is  a 
pleasure  again  to  have  verified  in  official  form,  that  Vin  Mariani  fi  n 
ine  preparation  and  that  the  law  in  no  way  coven 

ndered  is  based  upon  *artolyses  ttfade  'by  Che/his'ts  of  h 


fessional  standingSat  request  of  the  Illinois  authoriti 


essionui  sianaing,  ar  ret, 
stigations  of  the  Ohio  P 


SEVENTEEN  PER  CENT.  ALCOHOL  by  VoUjmefEach 


MARIANI    AND    COMPANY 


Advertisements  of  Vin  Mariani  before  and  after  national  Food 
and  Drugs  Act  went  into  effect. 

AN    ETHICAL    CURE-ALL 

Here  are  a  few  of  the  conditions  that  the  circular  says  Vin 
Mariani  is  good  for:  "Anemia,  winter  cough,  debility,  vocal 
weakness,  la  grippe,  continued  fevers,  bronchitis,  nervous 
troubles,  muscular  weakness,  diseases  of  the  aged,  malaria, 
melancholia,  overwork,  neurasthenia,  impotence,  malnutrition, 
depression,  heart  troubles,  wasting  diseases,  mental  overstrain, 
and  in  certain  cases  of  protracted  convalescence." 

The  following  quotations  are  taken  from  blotters — circulated 
in  this  country — which  are  evidently  intended  for  the  laity,  as 
well  as  for  physicians: 

"Vin  Mariani  creates  and  sustains  vigor  and  energy. 
Guards  against  wasting  diseases.  When  everything  else 
has  failed  try  it  to  prove  merits." 


118 

"Limg,Throat  and  Stomach  Troubles  benefited  by  Yin 
Mariani;  this  Ideal  French  Tonic  strengthens  entire  sys- 
tem of  Body,  Brain  and  Nerves." 

"Most  Efficacious,  Most  Agreeable,  Unequaled  by  any 
thing  in  Fortifying,  Strengthening,  Refreshing." 

WHY    BLAME    THE    LAYMAN    FOB    USING     NOSTRUMS? 

Can  we  blame  the  layman  for  using  peruna,  wine  of  cardui, 
etc.,  simply  because  they  are  advertised,  when  there  are  physi- 
cians who,  for  the  same  reason,  prescribe  concoctions  that 
are  just  as  quackish  and  just  as  useless?  And  can- editors  of 
medical  journals  consistently  find  fault  with  newspapers  for 
carrying  advertisements  of  fraudulent  "patent  medicines" 
when  they  themselves  admit  to  their  pages  advertisements  of 
nostrums  that  are  no  less  fraudulent  and  of  no  more  value? 

MKMCKR  OF  PROPRIETARY  ASSOCIATION 

One  word  more:  There  is  an  organization  known  as  the 
Proprietary  Association  of  America,  but  it  is  usually  referred 
to  in  common  parlance  as  the  "patent-medicine"  men's  asso- 
ciation. It  will  be  remembered  that  last  year  we  printed  a  list 
of  the  members  of  this  body,  among  which  was  the  Yin  Mari- 
ani Company.  It  will  be  remembered  also  that  in  the  list  were 
the  names  of  certain  firms  who  were  supplying  medicines  to 
physicians,  but  practically  all  these  resigned  from  membership 
and  their  resignations  were  published  by  us.  We  have  not 
had  the  pleasure  of  publishing  the  resignation  of  the  Yin  Mari- 
ani Company.  On  the  contrary,  we  note  that  at  the  last  annual 
meeting  of  the  "patent-medicine"  men's  association  this  firm 
was  still  an  active  member,  Mr.  A.  L.  Jaros,  who  stands  for 
the  Mariani  Company  in  this  country,  being  one  of  those 
registered  at  the  meeting. —  (From  The  Joiinml  .1.  .!/.  .1..  \<>r. 
26,  IMG.) 


WATERBURY'S     METABOLIZED     COD-LIVER     OIL 
COMPOUND* 

Report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  and  Lab- 
oratory Contribution  on  Which  It  Is  Based 
The  following  report  has  been  adopted  by  the  Council   and 
its  publication  directed.  W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary. 

To  the  Council: — Your  committee  on  pharmacology  has  read 
with  interest  the  contribution  from  the  Association's  labora- 
tory on  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil  Compound. 
The  report  shows  that  misleading  and  false  statements  are 
made  in  regard  to  the  composition  of  the  product  and  also  that 
exaggerated  and  unwarranted  claims  are  made  for  its  thera- 
peutic value.  In  view  of  the  attempt  of  the  Waterbury  Chem- 
ical Co.  to  create  a  false  impression  in  regard  to  the  thera- 

*  For  article  on   Ilagoo's  Cordial   of  Cod  Liver  Oil,  soo   Index. 


coi  \cii.    /,'/•: poitTX  no 

peutic  value  of  the  composition  of  its  product,  it  is  recom- 
mended that  the  following  report  be  adopted  and  published: 
The  Council  believes  that  there  is  a  preponderance  of  evi- 
dence to  indicate  that  whatever  therapeutic  value  cod-liver 
oil  lias,  that  value  depends  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  on  its  fat 
(oil).  In  the  opinion  of  the  Council,  the  word  cod-liver  oil 
should  not  he  used  in  connection  with  any  preparation  unless 
it  consists  to  a  large  extent  (25  per  cent,  or  more)  of  cod- 
liver  oil.  Since  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil  Com- 
pound contains  no  appreciable  quantity  of  cod-liver  oil,  the 
name  is  incorrect  and  misleading,  and  as  a  cod-liver  oil  prepa- 
ration it  is  believed  to  be  wholly  valueless.  The  Council  has 
previously  voted  that  Waterlmry's  Cod-Liver  Oil  Compound 
be  refused  recognition  because  of  conflict  with  Rules  1  and  6. 
— (From  The  Jonnni'l  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  9,  1909.) 

[  CoNTItlWTIoX    FROM   TIIK   ClIEMH'AL  LABORATORY   OF  THE    AMKKH'AX 

MEDIPAI,  ASSOCIATION] 
Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil  Compound 

\V.     A.     I'UCKXER    AXD    L,.     E.     WARREX 

A  full  page  advertisement  of  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod- 
Liver  Oil  Compound  appeared  in  the  loica  Medical  Journal, 
March  15,  1909,  in  the  form  of  a  letter  purporting  to  give  the 
results  of  an  analysis  of  the  product  made  for  the  firm  by  a 
Chicago  chemist.  In  this  letter-advertisement  the  chemist 
states  at  the  outset  that  the  results  of  his  examination  "are 
somewhat  at  variance  with  the  statements  made  in  THE  JOUR- 
NAL." These  statements  he  quotes  as  follows: 

1.  It  Is  a  clear  liquid  and  no  globules  of  oil  are  seen  under  the 
microscope.     It  Is  therefore  not  an  emulsion. 

2.  It  is  of-  acid  reaction  when  mixed  with  water  and  remains  clear 
when  strongly  acidified.     Hence  it  does  not  contain  a  soap,  and  is 
not  a  saponification  of  fat. 

3.  It  mixes  with  water  without  precipitation,  hence,  it  can  not 
contain  more  than  traces  of  a  fatty  acid. 

The  chemist  admits  in  his  letter  to  the  firm  that  his  analyses 
verify  statements  1  and  3,  but  regarding  statement  2  he  says: 
"I  find  that  your  preparation  is  acid  in  reaction,  but  when 
strongly  acidified  gives  a  distinct  turbidity  within  10  minutes 
and  a  voluminous  precipitate  within  1  hour.  This  precipitate 
is  shown  to  consist  of  fatty  acids  of  cod-liver  oil,  which  are 
thrown  down  by  the  splitting  of  the  soaps,  on  acidifying  either 
with  sulphuric  or  hydrochloric  acid."  From  these  results  he 
states  that  to  him  it  seems  that  the  "preparation  does  not 
deserve  the  statement  that  it  contains  no  soap,  as  there  is  no 
question  whatever  of  the  presence  of  cod-liver  oil." 

While  in  the  letter  published  in  this  advertisement  the  chem- 
ist claims  to  have  demonstrated  the  presence  in  the  product  of 
"Saponified  cod-liver  oil."  he  omit*  to  mention  the  quantiliin 
of  the  soap  present.  In  the  article  that  originally  appeared  in 
THE  JOURNAL  (Oct.  13,  1906),  in  addition  to  the  three  para- 


120  l'K01'A(l,\\D.\     FOR     REVOHM 

graphs  quoted  by  the  chemist,  the  following  statements  were 
made: 

"By  these  simple  tests  a  physician  is  easily  able  to  demon- 
strate that  the  preparation  does  not  contain  cod-liver  oil.  It 
is  therefore  valueless  for  the  purpose  of  nutrition  for  which 
we  give  the  oil.  More  careful  analysis  confirms  the  results  of 
these  tests  and  shows  that  it  contains  no  fat  or  fatty  acids 
( except  the  merest  traces )  ..." 

At  the  time  these  statements  were  published  in  THE  JOUR- 
NAL, the  St.  Paul  Medical  Journal,  October,  1906,  contained 
an  advertisement  for  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod-Liver  Oil 
Compound,  which  contained  this  statement: 

"The  only  tasteless  preparation  on  the  market  which  contains 
Cod-Liver  Oil  In  its  entirety.  The  metabolized  product  Is  obtained 
by  the  action  of  digestive  ferments  on  pure  Cod-Liver  Oil." 

In  the  Ohio  Medical  Journal  of  Feb.  15,  1907,  there  ap- 
peared in  the  form  of  an  advertisement  what  purported  to  be 
an  analysis  of  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod  Liver  Oil  Com- 
pound by  Prof.  C.  X.  Kinney  of  Drake  University.  While 
Professor  Kinney  made  a  quantitative  analysis  of  the  prepara- 
tion, the  quantities  were  omitted  from  the  analysis  as  pub- 
lished. A  footnote  added  by  the  Waterbury  Chemical  Com- 
pany called  attention  to  this  fact  and  closed  as  follows : 

"Any  physician  who  is  not  satisfied  with  the  analysis  we  will 
be  only  too  glad  to  furnish  the  complete  analysis  by  our  repre- 
sentatives." 

If  this  weirdly  constructed  sentence  meant  anything,  it 
meant  that  the  complete  analysis  would  be  furnished  on  re- 
quest. Such  requests  to  the  company,  however,  from  various 
sources  failed  to  elicit  the  information  required  nor  was  the 
"complete  analysis"  forthcoming.  The  inference  to  be  drawn 
is  fairly  plain. 

In  a  circular  accompanying  the  product  as  sold  at  present, 
this  statement  occurs: 


WATERBURY'S 

METABOLIZED   COD  LIVER  OIL  COMPOUND 
WITH  CREOSOTE  AND  GUAIACOL  OR  PLAIN 


DOES  CONTAIN  COD  LIVER  OIL 
DOES  ALLAY  FERMENTATION 

DOES  AID  DIGESTION 

DOES   ASSIST   ASSIMILATION 

BUT  DOES  NOT  DISTURB  THE  STOMACH 


As  previous  examinations  disclosed  only  the  merest  traces 
of  cod-liver  oil  in  the  product  though  claims  were  made  that  it 
"represents  cod-liver  oil  in  its  entirety,"  and  in  view  of  the 
fact,  too,  that  present  advertisements  emphatically  declare 
that  cod-liver  oil  is  present  in  the  preparation  as  now  sold,  it 


COUNCIL     REPORTS  121 

was  thought  best  to  examine  some  of  the  preparation  with 
especial  reference  to  the  quantities  of  fatty  acids  from,  cod- 
liver  oil. 

The  results  of  the  examination  are  briefly  as  follows:  The 
total  quantity  of  acids  isolated  amounted  to  about  0.3  per 
cent.,  and  of  this  amount  about  two-thirds  was  salicylic  acid. 
Thus  it  appears  from  the  examination  of  the  specimens  bought 
on  the  open  market  that  the  preparation  contains  at  most  but 
0.1  per  cent,  of  the  fatty  acids  from  cod-liver  oil,  a  totally 
insignificant  quantity. 

Notwithstanding  the  protestations  by  the  manufacturers,  in 
the  form  of  published  analyses  and  circulars,  it  is  seen  that 
the  statements  published  in  THE  JOURNAL,  Oct.  13,  1906,  p. 
1207,  are  essentially  substantiated;  it  is  further  evident  that 
the  product  does  not  deserve  to  be  designated  as  a  cod-liver  oil 
preparation.  To  obtain  a  medicinal  dose  of  cod-liver  oil  the 


Waterbury's 

Cod  Liver  Oil 

Compound 

WHh  CrMutt  M  OuUtM. 


ALCOHOL      •      .      11% 


Cod  Liver  Oil 

Malt*  brtracuMnMBtad 
Hypopho.phite.  Comp. 


OLD  LABEL  NEW    LABEL 

It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  that  this  product  is 
no  longer  being  sold  under  the  name  "Metabolized  Cod  Liver  Oil 
Compound."  See  the  illustrations  of  the  old  and  new  labels. 

patient  would  be  compelled  to  swallow  the  contents  of  a  bot- 
tle of  this  mixture,  and  as,  the  product  contains  11  per  cent, 
alcohol  the  patient  who  did  so  would  probably  experience  a 
degree  of  exhilaration  not  referable  to  cod-liver  oil. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  9,  1909.) 

Declared  Misbranded 

This  product  of  the  Waterbury  Chemical  Company,  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  was  exposed  in  THE  JOURNAL  of  the  American 
Medical  Association,  October  9,  1909.  In  May,  1910,  the 
United  States  Government  issued  a  notice  of  judgment  in 
which  it  was  declared  that  Waterbury's  Metabolized  Cod  Liver 
Oil  Compound  was  misbranded.  The  court  rendered  its  decree 
of  condemnation  and  forfeiture. — [Notice  of  Judgment,  No. 
3(93.] 


PART  II. 

CONTRIBUTIONS   FROM  THE  CHEMICAL 
LABORATORY 


ANUSOL  HEMORRHOIDAL  SUPPOSITORIES 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  L.  E.  Warren 

An  abstract  of  an  article  concerning  "anusol  suppositories" 
was  published  in  THE  JOUBNAL,  Jan.  23,  1909.  This  gave  the 
results  of  an  analysis  by  a  foreign  chemist,  J.  F.  Suyver, 
which  were  to  the  effect  that  "anusol  suppositories"  contained 
no  "anusol."  Schering  &  Glatz,  the  American  agents  for 
"anusol"  suppositories,  took  exceptions  to  the  abstract,  asked 
that  THE  JOURNAL  retract,  and  submitted  the  findings  of  a 
chemist  in  support  of  their  claim  that  the  suppositories  do  con- 
tain "anusol."  To  determine  the  composition  of  "anusol 
hemorrhoidal  suppositories"  as  they  are  found  on  the  American 
market,  trade  packages  were  purchased  (April  6,  1909)  and 
submitted  to  examination1  in  the  Association's  laboratory. 

According  to  the  claims  of  the  manufacturers,  12  suppos- 
itories contain: 

"Anusoli 7.5  grams 

"Zinc  oxid   6.0  grams 

"Balsam  Peruv 1.5  grams 

"Ol.  theobrom 19.0  grams 

"Dngt.   cerat 2.5  grams" 

Calculated  to  percentages  the  formula  reads: 

Anusoli    20.54  per  cent. 

Zinc  oxid  16.44  per  cent. 

Balsam    Pcruv 4.11  per  cent. 

Ol.    theobrom 52.06  per  cent. 

Ungt.  cerat 6.85  per  cent. 

When  this  product  was  submitted  to  the  Council  some  time 
ago,  Schering  &  Glatz  stated  that,  according  to  the  manu- 
facturer, "anusol"  is  the  "iodo  resorcin  sulphonate  of  bismuth, 
having  the  following  rational  formula:  [C«H2IS02.0(OH)2]3Bi. 
In  the  meta-dioxybenzol  C0H4(OH)2,  the  resorcin,  one  H  has 
been  replaced  by  one  I,  and  for  another  H  the  sulfonic-acid 
group  So2-OH  has  been  substituted,  so  that  meta-dioxybenzol 
is  transformed  into  CeH-ISCX-OHfOH);,.  In  the  sulfonic  acid 
the  H  of  OH  is  replaced  by  Bi  and,  as  Bi  is  trivalent  the 
above  rational  formula  results.'-' 

1.  Details  of  the  quantitative  analysis  of  "Anusol-  Hemorrhoidal 
Suppositories"  appear  in  the  annual  report  for  1909  of  the  Chemical 
Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  \->:'> 

According  to  this  formula  "anusol"  should  contain: 

lodin    32.99  per  cent. 

Sulphur  8.34  per  cent. 

Bismuth    18.07  per  cent. 

And  the  "anusol"  suppositories  should  contain: 

lodin    6.77  per  cent. 

Sulphur    1.71  per  cent. 

Bismuth    3.71  per  cent. 

Examination  showed  that  the  suppositories  contain  about 
0.08  per  cent,  iodin,  or  1.2  per  cent,  of  the  amount  claimed; 
0.28  per  cent,  sulphur,  or  16.3  per  cent,  of  what  is  claimed; 
0.71  per  cent,  bismuth,  or  19  per  cent  of  what  is  claimed; 
and  zinc  equivalent  to  16.5  per  cent,  zinc  oxid;  or  about  100 
per  cent,  of  claim. 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  iodin  content  alone,  assuming 
that  all  of  the  iodin  found  is  present  in  the  form  of  "anusol," 
the  results  of  the  examination  of  the  product  (as  found  on  the 
American  market)  verifies,  for  all  practical  purposes,  Suyver's 
statement  that  "anusol  suppositories  contain  no  anusol,"  for 
the  quantity  of  iodin  present  is  so  minute  (about  1/82  of  that 
required  by  the  formula)  as  to  be  unworthy  of  serious  con- 
sideration. The  presence  of  sulphid  in  appreciable  amounts 
was  demonstrated  showing  that  the  sulphur  is  present,  at  least 
in  part,  in  the  form  of  sulphid  and  not  as  sulphonate  as  is 
claimed.  In  a  measure,  too,  this  is  in  accord  with  the  findings 
of  Suyver,  who  concluded  that,  in  the  product  which  he  ex- 
amined, the  bismuth  was  present  in  the  form  of  sulphid.  The 
proportions  of  sulphur  and  of  bismuth  (respectively  about 
1/6  and  1/5  of  the  required  amounts)  indicate  still  further 
that  the  product  is  not  all  that  it  is  claimed  to  be. 

A  specimen  submitted  by  Schering  &  Glatz  to  the  Council 
two  years  ago  contained  0.09  per  cent,  iodin,  or  1.3  per  cent, 
of  the  amount  claimed;  0.23  per  cent,  sulphur,  or  13.4  per 
cent,  of  the  claimed  amount;  and  0.52  per  cent,  bismuth,  or 
14  per  cent,  of  what  is  claimed  by  the  formula.  Since  the 
above  determinations  were  made  another  specimen  of  Anusol 
Hemorrhoidal  Suppositories  was  received  from  Schering  & 
Glatz,  July  16,  1909.  This  sample  was  found  to  contain 
about:  0.075  per  cent,  iodin,  or  1.1  per  cent,  of  the  amount  re- 
quired by  the  formula;  0.265  per  cent,  of  sulphur,  or  15.5 
per  cent,  of  the  requirement  and  0.88  per  cent,  bismuth,  or 
23.7  per  cent,  of  the  required  amount.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  the  composition  of  the  oldest  specimen  and  also  that  of 
'the  specimen  recently  sent,  corresponds  in  a  general  way  to 
that  of  the  one  first  examined. 

Whether  judgment  be  based  on  the  determination  of  the 
bismuth,  the  sulphur  or  the  iodin,  the  results  just  given 
clearly  show  that  the  claims  made  concerning  the  composition 
of  "Anusol  Hemorrhoidal  Suppositories"  are  not  substantiated 
by  the  facts. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  2,  1909.) 


124  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

AROMATIC   DIGESTIVE   TABLETS 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  L.  E.  Warren 

It  has  been  amply  demonstrated1  that  pepsin  and  pancreatin, 
when  in  solution,  mutually  destroy  each  other;  if  the  solution 
be  acid,  the  pepsin  destroys  the  pancreatin;  if  alkaline,  the 
pancreatin  destroys  the  pepsin.  By  using  the  character- 
istic effect  of  pepsin  on  proteids  in  acid  medium  and  that  of 
pancreatin  on  proteids  and  starches  in  an  alkaline  solution  it 
can  readily  be  demonstrated  that  commercial  liquid  prepara- 
tions labeled  as  containing  both  of  these  ferments  actually 
contain  only  one  ferment.  They  are  misbranded. 

Besides  the  liquid  a  goodly  number  of  solid  preparations, 
chiefly  tablets,  containing  pepsin  and  pancreatin  are  offered 
to  the  profession.  Among  these  are  tablets  consisting  simply 
of  pepsin  and  pancreatin.  Since  pepsin  and  pancreatin  inter- 
act only  when  in  sohition,  it  is  quite  possible  to  prepare  tab- 
lets which  contain  these  ferments.  The  use  of  such  tablets 
is,  however,  unscientific,  since  one  or  the  other  of  the  ferments 
is  destroyed  when  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  fluids  of  the 
digestive  tract.  In  addition  to  simple  tablets  containing 
pepsin  and  pancreatin  only  there  is  at  present  a  host  of 
"digestive  tablets"  on  the  market.  Among  these  are  some 
which  must  .be  classed  with  the  "digestive  impossibilities" 
(Reports  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry,  1910, 
vol.  1,  p.  41 ) .  The  preparations  referred  to  are  tablets  claimed 
to  contain  pepsin,  pancreatin,  diastase,  hydrochloric  acid  and 
lactic  acid.  When  it  is  considered  that  the  United  States 
Pharmacopeia  defines  hydrochloric  acid  as  "a  liquid  composed 
of  31.9  per  cent,  by  weight  of  absolute  hydrochloric  acid 
(HC1=36.16)  and  68.1  per  cent,  .of  water,"  i.  e.,  a  solution 
of  hydrogen  chlorid,  a  gas,  in  water,  it  would  at  first  appear 
that  the  incorporation  of  any  appreciable  quantity  of  hydro- 
chloric acid  in  tablets  would  be  impracticable.  Hydrochloric 
acid,  however,  possesses  to  a  limited  extent  the  property  of 
combining  loosely  with  protein  substances  so  that  it  becomes 
possible  to  bring  about  its. combination  with  pepsin  and  simi- 
lar substances  to  form  compounds  which  are  relatively  stable 
at  ordinary  temperatures.  Because  of  the  volatility  of  the 
free  acid  and  its  limited  combining  power  with  protein  sub- 
stances (100  gm.  boiled  beef  combine  with  2  gm.  absolute 
hydrochloric  acid2),  the  quantity  of  acid  in  any  tablet  can 
never  be  large,  much  less  than  sufficient  to  be  of  any  thera- 
peutic value. 

A  number  of  firms  offer  "digestive  tablets"  for  sale  having 
formulas  of  which  the  following  may  be  considered  typical: 

1.  U.   S.  Pharmacopeia,   8th  revision,  p.   334. 

2.  Hemmeter,  Diseases  of  the  Stomach,  Edition  3,  p.  250. 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  125 

Sacch.    Pepsin 4       grains 

Pure  Pancreatin 1       grain 

Diastase    %  grain 

Aromatic    Powder %  grain 

Lactic    Acid %  grain 

Hydrochloric    acid %  grain 

Some  manufacturers  use  United  States  Pharmacopeia 
pepsin  in  place  of  the  saccharated  article;  others  do  not  give 
the  exact  quantities  of  hydrochloric  acid  which  their  product 
is  supposed  to  contain,  but  make  use  of  the  indefinite  expres- 
sion "q.  a.;"  still  others  state  merely  that  hydrochloric  acid 
is  present,  but  make  no  claim  whatever  concerning  the 
quantity. 

From  purely  theoretical  considerations  it  is  possible  that 
the  tablets  referred  to  might  contain  appreciable  amounts  of 
hydrochloric  acid.  Since  the  formulas  for  some  of  the  tablets 
furnish  no  information  concerning  the  content  of  hydrochloric 
acid,  it  seemed  worth  while  to  determine  the  quantity,  if  any, 
actually  present  in  some  of  the  tablets  on  the  market.  Accord- 
ingly a  trade  package  of  "digestive  aromatic  tablets,"  as  put 
up  under  the  label  of  each  of  six  American  manufacturers, 
was  purchased  and  submitted  to  examination  in  the  Associa- 
tion laboratory. 

Qualitative  tests  made  on  specimens  from  each  brand  of 
tablets  demonstrated  the  absence  of  uncombined  hydrochloric 
acid  in  each.  Further  tests3  showed  that  hydrochloric  acid  in 
protein  combination  was  present  essentially  in  the  amounts 
claimed  in  three  of  the  specimens.  In  two  of  the  others 
hydrochloric  acid  was  entirely  absent;  in  the  remaining  one 
only  the  merest  traces  of  hydrochloric  acid  could  be  found. 


H.  K.  MOLFORD  COMPANY 
"DIGESTIVE  AROMATIC" 

"Pepsin,  Sacch 4            grains 

"Pancreatin    1/2     grain 

"Diastase    1/16  grain 

"Acid    Lactic 1/8     grain 

"Acid    Hydrochloric 1/8     grain 

"Aromatic    Powder 1/4     grain 

Dose:  1  or  2  tablets. 


In  the  above  formula  each  tablet  is  said  to  contain  %  grain 
hydrochloric  acid.  This  amount  is  equivalent  to  0.002584  gm. 
(1/25  grain)  absolute  hydrochloric  acid.  Analysis  demon- 
strated that  each  tablet  contains  about  0.00267  gm.  hydro- 
chloric acid  (absolute  HC1)  or  essentially  the  amount 
claimed.  The  average  dose  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid 
United  States  Pharmacopeia  is  1  c.c.,  equivalent  to  0.1040  gm. 
absolute  hydrochloric  acid.  To  obtain  this  quantity  from  the 

3.  Details  of  this  analysis  appear  in  the  annual  report  for 
1910  ol!  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. 


126  l'lf<H'A<!.\\l>.\      l-'Dl!     /.'/v'/'O/M/ 

above  preparation  the  patient  would  be  required  to  swallow 
more   than   three  dozen   of   the   tablets. 


WM.  S.  MERBELL  CHEMICAL  COMPANY 
"DIGESTIVE  AROMATIC,  5  GRAINS" 

'Pepsin    80  parts 

'Pancreatin    10  parts 

'Diastase    1  part 

'Acid   Lactic 1  part 

'Acid    Hydrochloric 3  parts 

'Aromatic    Powder 5  parts 


Calculation  shows  that  each  tablet  should  contain  about 
0.0031  gm.  of  absolute  hydrochloric  acid.  The  analysis  indi- 
cated that  each  tablet  contains  about  0.0030  gm.  hydrochloric 
acid  (absolute  HC1)  in  protein  combination,  or  practically 
the  amount  claimed.  One  pharmacopeial  dose  of  hydrochloric 
acid  is  contained  in  35  of  the  tablets. 


PARKE,  DAVIS  &  COMPANY 
"DIGESTIVE  AROMATIC" 

'Saccharated    Pepsin 4       grains 

'Pure   Pancreatin 1       grain 

'Diastase    %  grain 

'Aromatic    Powder %  grain 

'Lactic  Acid. 
'Hydrochloric  Acid. 
Dose :  1  to  3  tablets. 


Chlorid  is  present  in  small  amounts,  but  quantitative  exam- 
ination indicated  that  hydrochloric  acid,  either  free  or  in 
protein  combination,  is  absent.  An  ammonium  salt  is  present 
in  small  quantities. 


SHAHPE  &  Don  ME 
"DIGESTIVE  AROMATIC" 

"Pepsin,  Sacch.,  TJ.  S.  P. 4       grains 

"Pancreatin,    pure 1       grain 

"Diastase    %  grain 

"Aromatic    Powder 14  grain 

"Lactic    Acid q.  s. 

"Hydrochloric    Acid q.  s. 


Small  quantities  of  chlorid  are  present.  Quantitative  exam- 
ination indicated  that  hydrochloric  acid  in  protein  combina- 
tion is  present  only  in  very  small  amounts,  each  tablet  con- 
taining but  about  0.00034  gm.  of  absolute  acid,  or  about  0.34 
per  cent,  of  the  pharmacopeial  dose.  Ammonia  is  absent. 
Inasmuch  as  more  than  300  of  these  tablets  would  be  required 
to  furnish  a  pharmacopeial  dose  of  hydrochloric  acid,  this 
firm's  interpretation  of  the  expression  "q.  s."  would  prove 
interesting. 


TRDAX,  GREENE  &  COMPANY 
"SYNERGIA" 


127 

"Synergia"  is  claimed  to  be  composed  of  "pepsin,  pancreatin, 
veg  diastase,  lactic  acid,  hydrochloric  acid  and  aromatics; 
dose,  1  to  3  tablets."  The  specimen  contained  no  hydrochloric 
acid,  either  free  or  in  protein  combination.  A  trace  of  ammo- 
nia and  small  quantities  of  chlorid  were  found. 


THE  FRASER  TABLET  COMPANY 
'Pepsin   Sacch 80  parts 


'Pancreatin,  Pure 
'Diastase 
'Lactic    Acid 
'Hydrochloric    Acid 
'Aromatic    Powder 


10  parts 

1  part 

1  part 

3  parts 

6  parts 


Dose  :  1  or  2  tablets. 
"Each  tablet  represents  (5)  grains  of  the  above 
mixture." 


According  to  the  formula  hydrochloric  acid  (3L9  per  cent, 
absolute  HC1)  represents  3  parts  in  101  of  the  preparation 
from  which  the  tablets  are  made.  Each  tablet  (containing  5 
grains  of  the  mixture)  should  have  0.00307  gm.  absolute 
hydrochloric  acid.  Analysis  showed  that  each  tablet  contains 
hydrochloric  acid  in  protein  combination  equivalent  to  an 
average  of  0.003066  gm.  absolute  hydrochloric  acid,  or  essen- 
tially the  amount  claimed.  It  would  be  necessary  to  give 
34  tablets  to  administer  a  pharmacopeial  dose  of  hydro- 
chloric acid. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE:  The  above  indicates  that  the  use  of  such 
tablets  is  irrational,  unscientific  and  that  it  should  be  con- 
demned. The  only  constituent  of  these  tablets,  other  than  the 
aromatics,  which  might  possibly  be  of  benefit  in  stomach 
troubles,  is  the  pepsin.  But  even  if  it  be  assumed  that  the 
diastase  and  pancreatin  could  exert  their  characteristic  effects, 
their  aid  to  digestion  (metabolism)  would  be  but  slight, 
because  their  amounts  in  the  tablets  are  too  small  to  be  of 
any  value. 

It  is  claimed  that  the  tablets  contain  diastase  in  amounts 
varying  from  1/20  to  1/4  grain.  Assuming  the  diastase  used 
to  be  of  first-class  quality,  i.  e.,  capable  of  converting  200 
times  its  own  weight  of  starch  into  soluble  products,  the 
quantity  in  one  tablet  would  be  capable  at  the  most  of  digest- 
ing but  from  10  to  50  grains  of  starch,  an  amount  equal  at 
the  most  to  but  a  small  spoonful  of  oatmeal  or  a  very  dainty 
bite  of  bread.  In  the  same  way  the  quantity  of  pancreatin 
is  insufficient  to  be  of  any  material  aid  in  digestion  should  it 
in  some  way  escape  destruction  in  the  stomach  and  still 
retain  its  full  activity  when  it  reaches  the  alkaline  juices  of 
the  intestines.  One  "grain  of  pancreatin  of  full  United  States 
Pharmacopeia  strength  will  digest  only  25  grains  of  starch 
or  the  proteids  in  about  100  c.c.  of  milk. 

Saccharated  pepsin,  which  was  formerly  official,  was  required 
to  digest  300  times  its  own  weight  of  moist  egg  albumin, 


128  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

while  the  pepsin  that  is  now  official  is  required  to  digest  ten 
times  that  amount,  or  3,000  times  its  own  weight.  It  is  evi- 
dent, therefore,  that  the  tablets  should  contain  sufficient 
pepsin  to  digest  appreciable  amounts  of  protein.  No  intelli- 
gent physician  would  prescribe  these  tablets  simply  for  the 
pepsin  they  contain  or  are  supposed  to  contain;  if  he  wanted 
to  give  pepsin  he  would  prescribe  the  drug  in  the  simple  form. 

Clinical  experience  has  shown  that  in  the  majority  of  cases 
of  so-called  dyspepsia  the  stomach  contents  contain  too  much 
rather  than  too  little  hydrochloric  acid,  and  wherever  there  is 
a  sufficiency  of  acid  there  is  usually  no  decrease  in  the  secre- 
tion of  pepsin.  In  many  of  such  cases,  too,  digestion  ia 
normal,  or  even  more  active  than  normal,  but  even  when  it  is 
imperfect  there  is  seldom  any  lack  of  pepsin. 

Insufficient  digestive  power  is  most  often  due  to  a  deficiency 
of  hydrochloric  acid  and  not  to  lack  of  pepsin  in  the  stomach 
contents.  In  the  tablets  under  consideration,  however,  hydro- 
chloric acid  is  present — if  at  all — in  the  most  ridiculously 
minute  quantities;  quantities  that  are  so  small  as  to  preclude 
any  therapeutic  effect  except  that  due  to  the  psychic  element. 

These  tablets,  with  their  six  or  more  ingredients,  are  typical 
"shotgun  prescriptions."  Such  prescriptions  catch  the  unthink- 
ing doctor  as  well  as  the  self-drugging  public,  for,  while  clini- 
cal experience  and  physiologic  experiments  have  demonstrated 
that  the  old  ideas  regarding  the  value  of  these  digestives  and 
ferments  were  erroneous,  the  public  and  many  members  of  the 
medical  profession  still  seem  to  be  influenced  by  the  old 
theories. 

In  conclusion  we  must  not  lay  all  the  blame  on  the  manu- 
facturing firms  for  supplying  these  absurd  combinations;  the 
physician  who  prescribes  them  should  assume  a  large  share  of 
it.  If  the  doctors  did  not  use  them  the  manufacturing  con- 
cerns would  soon  stop  putting  them  on  the  market.  We  hope, 
however,  that  those  manufacturing  concerns  that  like  to  be 
classed  as  reputable  will  cease  to  disgrace  their  catalogues 
with  what  they  know  to  be  therapeutic  absurdities. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  20,  1910.) 


BURNHAM'S    SOLUBLE   IODIN 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  A.  H.  Clark 

Burnham's  Soluble  lodin,  according  to  the  manufacturers,  is 
one  of  the  most  noteworthy  "discoveries"  of  the  age.  The 
advertisements  aim  to  create  an  impression  that  while  the 
product  contains  iodin,  pure  and  simple,  yet  by  some  secret 
process  this  element  has  been  so  changed  as  no  longer  to  possess 
its  usual  properties.  The  Burnham  Soluble  Iodin  Company 
makes  such  extravagant  claims  for  its  product  and  gives  such 
wide  publicity  to  these  claims  that  it  seemed  advisable,  in  the 


L  \  HORATOHY     CONTRIBUTIONS  129 

interests  of  the  profession,  to  determine  the  nature  of  the 
preparation.  Its  examination  was  accordingly  taken  up  in  the 
laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 

From  the  analysis,  we  conclude  that  Burnham's  Soluble 
lodin  is  a  solution  of  iodin  in  alcohol  made  miscible  with  water 
by  the  presence  of  some  iodid.  Wilbert1  and  other  investiga- 
tors have  arrived  at  practically  the  same  conclusion. 

Whatever  the  secret  process,  hinted  at  in  the  advertisements, 
by  which  this  preparation  is  evolved,  the  fact  remains  that 
when  one  prescribes  Burnham's  Soluble  Iodin,  one  is  prescrib- 
ing iodin,  together  with  an  iodid,  the  nature  of  which  is  hard 
to  determine.  The  iodid  is  not  present  as  potassium  iodid  ner, 
entirely,  at  least,  as  hydrogen  iodid  (hydriodic  acid),  but  this 
is  of  slight  importance  compared  with  the  fact  that  it  is  a 
solution  in  alcohol  of  free  iodin  and  an  iodid,  and  therefore  is 
essentially  the  same  as  Lugol's  solution. 

The  amount  of  iodin  found  corresponds  approximately  to  3.0 
gm.  of  free  iodin  and  2.0  gm.  of  combined  iodin  in  100  c.c.  of 
the  solution.  Lugol's  solution  contains  5.0  gm.  free  iodin,  and 
10.0  gm.  potassium  iodid  in  100  c.c. 

BUBNHAM'S  SOLUBLE  IODIN  TABLETS 

Burnham's  Soluble  Iodin  Tablets  are  a  light  brown  com- 
pressed tablet,  stamped  with  the  letters  B.  S.  I.  in  monogram. 
Each  tablet  is  said  to  contain  3  minims  Burnham's  Soluble 
lodin. 

The  average  weight  of  each  tablet  was  found  to  be  0.3526 
gm.;  since  Burnham's  Soluble  Iodin  was  found  to  have  a  spe- 
cific gravity  of  .8527  and  to  contain  4.5  per  cent,  total  iodin, 
the  tablets  should  contain  approximately  2.3  per  cent,  total 
iodin,  about  one-half  to  two-thirds  of  which,  depending  on  the 
condition  of  the  "Soluble  Iodin"  from  which  they  are  made, 
should  be  free  iodin.  Instead  of  this,  only  0.317  per  cent,  free 
iodin  and  1.57  per  cent,  total  iodin  was  found.  Analysis  shows 
that  Burnham's  Soluble  Iodin  tablets  contain  approximately 
one-fourth  the  amount  of  free  iodin  and  approximately  two- 
thirds  the  amount  of  total  iodin  which  should  be  contained 
therein  if,  in  accordance  with  the  label,  each  tablet  contains 
3  minims  of  Burnham's  Soluble  Iodin. 

COMMENT 

The  literature  put  out  by  the  Burnham  Soluble  Iodin  Com- 
pany is  in  itself  enough  to  condemn  the  products  it  advertises. 
The  much  emphasized  statement  of  the  company  that 

"Something  had  to  be  done:  and  Burnham's  Soluble 
Iodin  is  that  which  has  been  done" 

fulfils,  in  its  blatant  assertiveness,  all  the  requirements  of  nos- 
trum advertising.  The  results  of  the  analyses  are  not,  there- 
fore, a  surprise. 

1.  Proc.  Am.  Pharm.   Assn.,   1903.  H.   409. 


130  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Secrecy  is  just  as  essential  to-day  to  the  successful  exploita- 
tion of  this  class  of  proprietaries  as  it  was  before  the  demand 
for  formulas  became  so  universal.  The  requirement  of  public- 
ity is  evaded,  therefore,  in  one  of  two  ways:  Either  a  formula 
is  given  which  is  false,  or  at  least  meaningless,  or  else  the 
claim  is  made  that  the  method  of  preparing  the  product  is  a 
unique  and  remarkable  secret  that  is  possessed  only  by  the 
manufacturers.  The  Burnham  Soluble  lodin  Company  uses  the 
latter  device. 

Meanwhile,  physicians  will  be  perfectly  justified  in  viewing 
with  suspicion  all  claims  based  on  such  conspicuously  unscien- 
tific premises,  more  especially  so  when  these  claims  fail  to  find 
substantiation  on  careful  and  painstaking  analyses.  In  brief, 
whenever  the  physician  wishes  to  administer  free  iodin,  Lugol's 
solution  (Liquor  lodi  Compositus,  U.  S.  P.,  Physician's  Man- 
ual, page  84)  is  an  inexpensive  and  perfectly  available  prepa- 
ration. (From  the  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  28,  1908.) 


"HYDROCYANATE    OF    IRON— TILDEN" 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

Among  the  many  inquiries  received  regarding  the  composi- 
tion of  secret  remedies  was  one  in  reference  to  "Hydrocyanate 
of  Iron"  manufactured  by  The  Tilden  Company,  New  Lebanon, 
N.  Y.  This  preparation  is  advertised  as  being  "unexcelled  as 
a  remedy  for  epilepsy,  hysteria,  chorea,  neurasthenia,  locomo- 
tor  ataxia,  neuralgia,  migraine,  anemic  headaches,  and  all 
convulsive  or  reflex  neuroses  dependent  on  impairment  of  the 
brain  or  spinal  cord."  It  is  also  said  to  be  "valuable  in  uterine 
reflex  neuroses  due  to  congestion;  in  amenorrhea  due  to 
anemia  and  chlorosis  and  suppressed  menstruation." 

The  term  "hydrocyanate  of  iron"  is  an  unfamiliar  one  and 
is  not  found  in  any  available  reference  work  on  chemistry. 
Thinking  that  the  term  might  have  been  loosely  applied  to 
ferrocyanid  of  iron,  or  Prussian  blue  (a  compound  once  sug- 
gested for  epilepsy,  but  long  ago  considered  useless),  the  cor- 
respondent wrote  to  the  manufacturers  asking  if  such  were 
the  case.  The  Tilden  Company  answered: 

"...  our  preparation  Hydrocyanate  of  Iron  Is  not  Prussian 
blue  In  any  sense  of  the  word.  Prussian  blue  has  no  curative  prop 
erties  as  applied  to  all  forms  of  epilepsy.  Prussian  blue  is  Ferro- 
cyanid of  Iron  while  our  preparation  is  Hydrocyanate  of  Iron." 

The  only  statements  in  the  Tilden  Company's  advertising 
matter,  regarding  the  composition  of  hydrocyanate  of  iron 
are  the  following: 

"Hydrocyanate  of  Iron  (Tilden's)  Is  a  correct  and  scientific  com- 
bination of  well  known  principles." 


LABORATORY     CO\TlfIfirTIO'\~8  131 

"Hydrocyanate  of  Iron  (Tilden's)  combines  well  known  proper- 
ties of  ferruginous  salts  with  the  sedative  action  of  Hydrocyanic 
acid." 

The  last  statement  would  lead  one  to  expect  the  pres- 
ence of  available  iron  and  cyanogen  ions.  In  fact,  the  in- 
ference to  be  drawn  from  all  the  company's  "litera- 
ture" is  that  "hydrocyanate  of  iron"  is  a  definite  chemical 
compound  in  the  same  sense  as  is  ferrocyanid  of  iron,  and  that 
inference  is  still  further  borne  out  in  the  letter  to  our  cor- 
respondent. This  being  the  case,  the  Tilden  Company  was 
again  written  to  and  asked  for  the  chemical  formula  of  "hy- 
drocyanate of  iron,"  with  the  following  result: 

"Replying  to  your  inquiry  regarding  the  formula  of  Hydrocy- 
anate of  Iron  we  beg  to  state  the  composition  of  this  preparation 
Is  a  trade  secret  and  we  therefore  do  not  care  to  furnish  the  de- 
sired information." 

This  reply  verified  the  opinion  already  formed  that  "hydro- 
cyanate of  iron"  is  a  secret  preparation.  Its  analysis  was  then 
taken  up  in  the  Association's  laboratory. 

EXAMINATION    OF    THE    TABLETS 

The  product  appears  on  the  market  in  cartons  said  to  con- 
tain one  ounce  of  one -grain  tablets.  On  the  cartons,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  name  of  the  preparation  and  the  name  and  address 
of  the  manufacturers,  are  the  names  of  diseases  for  which  it 
is  recommended.  The  tablets,  in  the  specimens  analyzed,  were 
dark  blue,  rather  hard  and  slightly  bitter  in  taste  and  had  an 
average  weight  of  0.1382  gm.,  or  about  2  grains.  They  were 
found  to  be  practically  insoluble  in  water  and  dilute  mineral 
acids;  aqueous  oxalic  acid  solution  partially  dissolved  them, 
yielding  a  blue  solution.  Boiling  with  alkali  hydroxid  solu- 
tion decomposed  the  tablets,  yielding  iron  in  an  insoluble 
form  and  a  solution  of  alkali  ferrocyanid,  as  demonstrated 
by  the  appearance  of  a  deep  blue  precipitate  on  the  addition 
of  ferric  chlorid  solution.  The  portion  insoluble  in  alkali 
when  boiled  with  hydrochloric  acid  yielded  a  solution  contain- 
ing iron,  approximately  equivalent  to  50  per  cent.  Prussian 
blue.  These  properties  are  all  characteristic  of  Prussian  blue 
and,  taken  together,  identify  Prussian  blue  as  a  constituent 
of  "hydrocyanate  of  iron  (Tilden.)"  The  insoluble  residue 
from  the  iron  determination  possessed  the  properties  and  con- 
stituents of  talc  and  constituted  practically  one-half  of  the 
tablets.  Extraction  of  the  tablets  with  chloroform  or  ether 
in  the  presence  of  ammonium  hydroxid  yielded  a  small  amount 
of  organic  material  which  contained  bodies  having  the  prop- 
erties of,  and  responding  to  tests  for,  quinin  or  cinchona  alka- 
loids and  caifein.  The  presence  of  a  salicylate  was  also  indi- 
cated.1 

1.  Details  of  the  quantitative  analysis  of  "Hydrocyanate  of 
Iron — Tilden"  appear  in  the  annual  report  for  1909  of  the  Chemical 
Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 


132  PROPAGANDA     FOR     RF.l'nilM 

From  the  analysis  it  is  concluded  that  "hydroeyanate  of 
iron  (Tilden)"  is  essentially  a  mixture  of  approximately  equal 
parts  of  talc  and  Prussian  blue,  containing  traces  of  organic 
matter  having  the  general  properties  of  alkaloids. 

COMMENT:  When  a  firm  exploits  an  abandoned  remedy  for 
so  hopeless  a  disease  as  epilepsy  under  a  name  not  known  to 
chemistry  and  with  a  false  representation  of  its  pharmacologic 
qualities,  such  action  may  rightly  be  assumed  to  show  ig- 
norance or  worse.  "Hydroeyanate  of  iron,"  if  it  means  any- 
thing, means  the  cyanid  of  iron,  but  the  preparation  put  out 
under  that  name  is,  according  to  our  chemists,  not  cyanid  of 
iron,  but  the  ferrocyanid  of  iron  commonly  known  as  Prus- 
sian blue.  This  substance  has  been  tried  for  epilepsy  and 
abandoned.  Yet  the  firm  recommends  it  as  a  "peerless  remedy" 
for  this  disease: 

"The  Tilden  Company  holds  the  key  to  the  situation  in  the  treat- 
ment of  epilepsy.  We  have  the  remedy  that  does  the  work." 

Not  that  epilepsy  is  the  only  disease  for  which  this  hypo- 
thetical chemical  compound  may  be  prescribed.  Torticollis  has 
been  "successfully  treated  with  hydroeyanate  of  iron."  In 
chorea,  we  are  told  "a  richer  and  better  blood  supply"  should 
be  furnished  the  nervous  and  vascular  system  and  "the  irri- 
tation of  the  motor  centers"  must  be  allayed. 

"Hydroeyanate  of  iron  serves  admirably  to  accomplish  both  of 
these  purposes.  It  carries  the  hemoglobin  to  the  blood  in  its  most 
easily  assimilable  form  and  its  hydrocyanic  acid  possesses  remark- 
able sedative  powers  .  .  .  .  " 

It  is  not  possible  for  it  to  have  any  value  in  anemia  because 
of  its  insolubility,  yet  we  are  told: 

"In  conditions  marked  by  poverty  of  the  blood  producing  anemia 
or  chlorosis,  reacting  on  the  nervous  system  and  calling  for  a  cha- 
iybeate,  hydrocyanate  of  iron  (Tilden's)  takes  a  front  rank  among 
the  remedies  of  this  class,  combining  as  it  does  the  blood  enriching 
qualities  of  ferrum  with  the  sedative  action  of  hydrocyanic  acid." 

As  Prussian  blue  yields  no  appreciable  quantity  of  hydro- 
cyanic acid  under  the  conditions  existing  in  the  animal  or- 
ganism, "the  sedative  action  of  hydrocyanic  acid"  must  be  as 
hypothetical  as  the  chalybeate  properties  attributed  to  it. 

It  is  strange  that  a  manufacturer,  in  introducing  a  new 
chemical  compound,  should  have  to  assure  his  customers  that 
it  "contains  no  opium  or  alkaloid,  of  that  drug,  cocain,  chloral 
hydrate,  conium  or  any  of  the  bromids."  Imagine  a  firm 
putting,  let  us  say,  potassium  iodid— a  definite  chemical  com- 
pound— on  the  market  and  solemnly  guaranteeing  that  it  con- 
tained no  cocain  or  chloral  hydrate! 

Would  the  Tilden  Company  of  twenty-five  years  ago  have 
served  such  mental  pabulum  in  its  advertising  matter? 

One  would  think  that  the  dictates  of  common  humanity 
would  protect  the  unfortunate  epileptic  from  the  machinations 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  133 

of  the  nostrum  maker,  especially  from  the  exploitation  of  a 
Remedy  that  has  been  tried  and  found  wanting.  A  nostrum, 
however,  merely  has  to  measure  up  to  one  standard:  Will  it 
pay?  Meeting  this  requirement  nothing  else  matters. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  June  19,  1909.) 


HYMOSA 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

Frequent  requests  for  information  regarding  the  composition 
of  hymosa,  manufactured  by  the  Walker  Pharmacal  Co.,  St. 
Louis,  and  a  perusal  of  the  extensive  and  nostrum-like  adver- 
tising the  product  is  receiving,  made  a  chemical  examination 
of  this  preparation  seem  desirable.  If  the  label  is  to  be  be- 
lieved, hymosa  has  been  of  use  in  "acute  and  chronic  muscular 
and  articular  rheumatism,  gout,  sciatica,  lumbago,  pleurodynia 
and  neuralgia,  whether  due  to  uric  acid  diathesis  or  not  .  .  ." 

The  composition  of  hymosa  as  given  by  the  proprietors  is 
set  forth  in  the  following  statement: 

".  .  .  Hymosa,  in  which  the  remedies  Frangula,  Actea 
Spicata,  Stellaria  Media,  Franciscea  Uniflora,  Rhus  Toxicodendron. 
Passiflora  Incarnata,  Phytolacca  Decandra  and  Echinacea  Angusti- 
folia  are  combined  in  the  proportions  which  experience  has  shown 
will  obtain  the  quickest  and  best  results  without  any  of  the  stomach 
and  heart  complications  so  often  following  the  administration  of 
salicylic  acid." 

"Contains  no  Salicylic  Acid." 

Thus  the  explicit  statement  is  made  that  hymosa  contains 
certain  vegetable  drugs  (most  of  them  obsolete  and  valueless) 
and  that  it  does  not  contain  salicylic  acid.  By  inference  the 
claim  repeatedly  is  made  that  the  nostrum  does  not  contain 
any  salicylates. 

".  .  .  Hymosa  has  achieved  most  remarkable  results  in  over- 
coming rheumatism  in  cases  where  salicylates  have  been  tried  in 
vain  .  .  ." 

"Salicylic  acid  was  not  successful  in  this  case  of  rheumatism  of 
the  stomach." 

"Negative  results  from  salicylates — Hymosa  cures." 

".     .     .     the  salicylates  didn't  help?  Then  we  must  try  Hymosa." 

Still  harping  on  the  undesirability  of  salicylates  and  the 
value  of  hymosa  the  advertising  pamphlets  state: 

"Salicylic  Acid  Replaced.  The  Use  of  This  Dangerous  Agent  in 
Rheumatism  Obviated." 

"It  seems  that  the  use  of  the  dangerous  and  ineffective  salicylic 
acid  will  soon  be  given  up  and  hymosa  take  its  place." 

"Former  methods  of  treating  rheumatism  .  .  .  have  been 
very  unsatisfactory  .  .  .  because  of  the  heart  and  stomach 
difficulties  brought  on  by  salicylates  of  which  most  rheumatism 
remedies  are  composed." 

"Could  not  tolerate  the  salicylates." 


134.  PROPAGANDA      l-'OIf     ItKWHtM 

Finally  in  a  letter  issued  to  physicians  we  are  told: 
".     .     .     you  will   find   hymosa   to   possess   prompt   and   positive 
curative  action  with  the  additional  advantage  of  avoiding  the  heart 
it ud  stomach  complications,  which  the  salicylatcs  too  often  cause." 

It  is  evident  from  the  above  quotations,  in  which  the  sali- 
cylates  are  denounced  specifically  or  by  implication,  and  from 
the  label  which  states  that  no  salicylic  acid  is  present,  that 
the  exploiters  of  the  nostrum  deliberately  intended  to  give  the 
impression  that  hymosa  is  free  from  salicylates  or  salicylic 
acid  and  contains  only  the  vegetable  or  plant  drugs  enumer- 
ated. The  very  fact  that  the  proprietors  make  such  repeated 
efforts  to  give  the  impression  that  hymosa  is  free  from  sali- 


Heproduction  (reduced)  of  an  advertisement  of  Hymosa.  This 
indicates  the  attempt  made  to  convey,  by  implication,  the  idea  that 
the  salicylates  are  absent  from  Hymosa. 

cylates  is  in  itself  sufficient  to  arouse  suspicion  and  hence  in 
the  examination  particular  attention  was  given  to  the  detec- 
tion of  salicylic  acid  or  salicylates  with  the  following  results: 
Examination. — Hymosa  as  purchased  on  the  market  is  a 
dark  brown  liquid  with  an  odor  of  sassafras  and  a  rather 
sweetish  taste,  reacting  acid  to  litmus.  Qualitative  tests  hav- 
ing indicated  the  presence  of  salicylate,  iodid,  sodium,  potas- 
sium, alcohol  and  some  organic  matter,  presumably  sugars  and 
some  plant  extractives,  these  were  determined  quantitatively.1 

1.  Details  of  this  analysis  appear  in  the  annual  report  for 
1910  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. 


I.MHtlf.iTOlfY     CONTRIBUTIONS  135 

It  was  found  that  a  part  of  the  salicylate  was  present  as  free 
salicylic  acid  and  part  in  a  combined  form.  The  sodium  deter- 
minations indicated  that  all  the  salicylate,  excepting  that  in 
the  form  of  free  salicylate  acid,  was  present  as  sodium  sali- 
cylate. From  the  results  of  the  potassium  estimations,  it  was 
evident  that  the  iodin  was  present  in  the  form  of  potassium 
iodid. 

From  the  results  of  the  analysis  it  is  believed  that  the  prep- 
aration has  approximately  the  following  composition: 

Salicylic   Acid    0.32  gm. 

Sodium    Salicylate    1.15  gm. 

Potassium   Iodid    0.32  gm. 

Sugars   and   extractives 4.60  gm. 

Alcohol,  U.  S.  P.  . 16.86  c.c. 

Water  to  make 100.00  c.  c. 

These  results  indicate  that  hymosa  is  essentially  a  solution 
containing  salicylic  acid,  sodium  salicylate,  potassium  iodid, 
alcohol,  sugars  and  plant  extractives  in  the  proportions  given 
above,  and  show  that  the  various  statements  referred  to,  re- 
garding the  absence  of  salicylic  acid  and  salicylates  are  mis- 
leading and  untrue.  It  further  illustrates  the  repeatedly  dem- 
onstrated fact  that  nostrums  exploited  as  wonderful  and  new 
discoveries  are  new  in  name  only — and  whatever  therapeutic 
value  they  possess  depends  on  old  and  tried  medicinal  agents. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE:  In  describing  the  methods  employed  by 
the  manufacturers  of  Manola  in  exploiting  their  product, 
attention  was  called  to  the  fact  that  the  Manola  Company  was 
reported  as  being  a  subsidiary  affair  of  the  Luyties  Homeo- 
pathic Pharmacy  Company  of  St.  Louis.  It  is  reported  that 
this  same  company  also  operates  the  Walker  Pharmacal  Com- 
pany, which  exploits  Hymosa  and  Pas-avena.— (From  the 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  June  11,  1910.) 


LIQUID    LIFE 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  L.  E.  Warren 

A  physician  wrote  to  THE  JOURNAL  that  for  six  years  one 
of  his  patients  had  been  taking  about  fifty  bottles  annually 
of  a  preparation  called  "Liquid  Life;"  he  requested  informa- 
tion concerning  the  composition  of  the  remedy.  The  inquiry 
was  referred  to  the  Association's  laboratory. 

The  price  of  the  preparation  being  75  cents  for  each  bottle 
it  seemed  a  pity  that  patients  like  this  one  should  continue  to 
be  separated  from  their  money  by  a  nostrum  which,  from  its 
name  and  descriptive  circulars,  appeared  to  be  a  sham.  Hence 
it  was  explained  to  the  correspondent  that .  if  he  would  send 
an  original  package  of  the  preparation  to  the  Association's 
laboratory  a  cursory  examination  would  be  made — sufficient 
in  all  probability  to  show  his  patient  the  folly  of  her  faith 
in  the  nostrum. 


136  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

An  original  package  of  "Liquid  Life"  having  been  received 
a  cursory  examination  of  it  was  made,  which  showed  that  the 
preparation  is  essentially  an  aqueous  solution  of  Epsom  salt, 
containing  some  Glauber's  salt,  the  mixture  being  sweetened 
with  saccharin.  The  facts  brought  out  by  the  cursory  exami- 
nation having  shown  that  the  preparation  is  an  outrageous 
imposition  on  the  public,  it  was  decided  to  make  a  more  com- 
plete investigation  with  the  view  of  publishing  the  results. 
Here  is  part  of  the  label  of  "Liquid  Life,"  the  spelling 
and  diction  being  exactly  transcribed." 


"LIQUID    LIFE 

A 
TRUE   ANTITOXINE 

"This  antitoxine  is  non-poisonous  and  non-alcoholic.  It 
will  expel  all  alcohol  from  the  system  at  once,  and  so 
requires  a  great  deal  more  antitoxine  and  time  to  effect  a 
cure  if  any  alcohol  is  used  while  taking  it.  but  you  can 
use  whatever  tobacco  you  have  been  accustomed  to." 

AKHESTS    DISEASES    AND    PREVENTS    THE    DEVELOPMENT    or 

GERMS 

"All  contagious  diseases'  are  germ  diseases,  and  manifest 
themselves  first  as  headache,  pain  in  the  back,  lassitude 
and  rise  of  temperature,  at  this  stage  a  few  doses  of  the 
antitoxine  will  arrest  them  at  once  and  prevent  any  further 
development  of  the  germs,  no  matter  what  their  nature 
may  be." 

THE  PATIENT  SHOULDN'T  MEDDLE  WITH  THE  LEUCOCYTES  ! 
"It  Is  important  that  their  should  be  no  interference  with 
the  action  of  the  leucocytes  or  white  corpuscles  by  using 
purgatives  or  drugs  of  any  kind  while  taking  the  antitoxine. 
If  the  bowels  move  very  freely  at  first  they  will  check 
them  later,  and  if  they  do  not  move,  wait  till  they  do." 


A  paragraph  taken  from  the  circular  describing  "Liquid 
Life"  is  given  on  page  137.  Considering  its  length,  it  is  sub- 
mitted as  probably  being  the  most  faulty  in  diction,  the  most 
replete  in  false  statements  and  the  most  barren  of  truthful 
suggestions  of  any  paragraph  in  "patent  medicine"  literature. 

To  those  conversant  with  the  principles  of  medicine  the 
reading  of  the  label  and  circulars  would  alone  be  sufficient  to 
condemn  the  nostrum  as  a  humbug.  Others  might,  however, 
be  impressed  as  strongly  by  this  jumble  of  meaningless 
phrases  and  vicious  misrepresentations  as  by  a  logical  and 
truthful  statement  of  facts. 

The  labels  indicate  that  "Liquid  Life"  is  manufactured  by 
the  T.  B.  Chemical  Co.,  Newark,  N.  J.  The  preparation  is  a 
pale  yellow,  faintly  fluorescent  liquid,  having  a  faint,  pepper- 
mint-like odor  and  a  harsh,  disagreeable  taste.  The  presence 
of  magnesium,  sodium,  a  sulphate  and  small  amounts  each 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  137 

of  saccharin,  zinc  and  quinin  was  demonstrated  by  the  usual 
tests.  Ammonium  salts  were  absent.  The  absence  of  cocain, 
morphia  and  their  derivatives  and  substitutes  was  shown. 

Quantitative  determinations  indicated  that  the  composition 
of  "Liquid  Life"  is  essentially  as  follows: 

Crystallized  quinin  sulphate 0.0566  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

zinc  sulphate 0.2416  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

"  magnesium      sulphate      (Epsom 

salt)     13.34       gm.  in  100  c.c. 

"  sodium  sulphate  (Glauber's  salt) 
(Calculated  from  sodium  de- 
termination)    6.17  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

Saccharin     a  trace. 

Water    (by  difference)    to   make 100  c.c. 

Secret  nostrums — the   so-called  "patent  medicines"  sold  to 
the  public — are  of  two  classes :    One  is  harmless  in  itself,  in  that 


THE    HOME    PHYSICIAN 
WHY  LIQUID  LIFE  MAKES  ONE 

First  it  is  antitoxine  to  all  contagious  diseases  and  so 
removes  the  fear  of  infection  from  the  family.  If  given  early, 
acts  as  a  preventive,  given  later  subdues  the  disease ;  is  non- 
poisonous  and  non-alcoholic ;  there  are  no  reactions  or  bad 
effects  from  it  no  matter  how  long  it  is  taken.  It  contains 
in  itself  everything  with  the  exception  of  food  that  should 
be  taken  into  the  stomach  to  keep  the  family  in  perfect 
health.  Children  born  under  the  influence  of  the  antitoxine, 
are  just  splendid  and  remain  so  after  birth  and  grow  up 
symmetrical  with  a  healthy  body  and  a  clear  brain,  for  when 
a  dose  of  the  antitoxine  is  given  you  call  into  action  not 
only  one  physician  but  millions  (the  Leycocties)  and  every 
one  of  them  is  a  supernal  surgeon  and  their  power  to  restore 
the  body  to  health  is  supreme,  even  in  those  diseases  that 
have  been  found  difficult  to  cure  before,  such  as  Pneumonia, 
Catarrh,  Appendicitis,  Blood  Poison  from  any  cause,  Syph- 
ilis, Cancer,  Malignant  Diphtheria,  Erysipelas,  Scrofula, 
Tetanus  or  Lockjaw,  Consumption,  all  Fevers,  Rheumatism, 
Womb  diseases,  Bright's  Disease,  Diabetes  and  other  diseases 
called  incurable.  Ladies  will  find  the  antitoxine  is  all  they 
require  to  keep  themselves  in  perfect  health,  and  if  taken 
for  a  short  time  before  confinement  will  relieve  them  of 
half  the  pain  and  danger.  It  can  also  be  used  externally 
with  marvelous  effect  in  all  cases  requiring  outside  applica- 
tions, or  injected  into  all  the  orifices  of  the  body  where 
there  is  disease,  in  fact,  being  a  true  antitoxine,  it  solves 
the  problem  of  Health  and  Disease. 


it  contains  but  little  or  none  of  any  medicinal  substances  and 
is  potent  for  harm  only  in  so  far  that  it  restrains  the  user  from 
seeking  competent  treatment;  the  other  not  only  keeps  the 
sick  person  from  receiving  the  treatment  which  is  indicated 
but  contains  ingredients  which,  when  used  indiscriminately, 
are  potent  for  harm.  Both  classes  are  humbugs,  especially 
because  a  large  price  is  charged  for  what  is  usually  worth'  but 
a  few  cents.  In  both  classes  there  are  all  degrees  of  humbugs. 
"Liquid  Life"  easily  belongs  to  the  second  class  and  is  an 


138  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

example  of  the  worst  in  this  class.  Besides  containing  the 
poisonous  ingredient,  zinc  sulphate,  its  chief  ingredient  is 
Epsom  salt,  the  long  continued  use  of  which  always  does 
harm.  When  it  is  considered  that  during  six  years  one  patient 
consumed  between  $200  and  $300  worth  of  the  stuff  (as  sold 
at  retail)  the  "degree"  of  the  humbug  may  be  appreciated. 

In  connection  with  the  claim  of  the  manufacturer  that 
"Liquid  Life"  is  "a  true  antitoxine"  the  following  definitions 
for  an  antitoxin  are  given: 

"A  substance  formed  in  the  body,  which  neutralizes  the  poisonous 
products  of  a  micro-organism;  a  defensive  proteid."  (Standard 
Dictionary). 

"Any  defensive  proteid  developed  in  the  body  as  a  result  of  the 
implantation  of  a  poison,  and  acting  as  a  neutralize!-  of  the  poison." 
(Dorland's  Medical  Dictionary). 

In  view  of  these  definitions  and  of  the  findings  of  the 
analysis  the  absurdity  of  the  claim  that  "Liquid  Life"  is  "a 
true  antitoxine"  is  patent. —  (Modified  from  the  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  5,  1911.) 


MICAJAH'S    MEDICATED    UTERINE    WAFERS 

W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

Evidently  touched  by  the  generosity  of  the  manufacturer  in 
sending  him  a  sample  and  literature,  but  not  too  favorably 
impressed  by  the  claims  made  for  th4  preparation  referred  to, 
a  correspondent  writes: 

I  enclose  a  valuable  sample  and  literature  just  received.  Such 
a  palpable  humbug  as  Micajah's  Uterine  Wafers  would  hardly  seem 
to  need  notice  wore  it  not  probably  true  that  many  practitioners 
habituated  to  the  use  of  samples  are  still  influenced  by  the  glowing 
accounts  of  cures  wrought ;  especially  when  attested  by  such  a  name 
;uid  title  as  "Elmore  Palmer,  M.D.,  Ex-President  Western  New  York 
Medical  Society."  This  secret  gynecologic  medicament  is  recom- 
mended for  anything  from  "I'ruritis  Vulva},"  "Enlargement  of  the 
Womb,"  "Displacements,"  "Cystocele  and  Uectocele,"  to  the  "Mrim 
pause." 

Following  the  definition  that  by  her  "stomach"  a  woman  means 
anything  from  her  chin  to  her  knees,  the  ex-president  with  truly 
noble  impartiality  has  with  the  wonderful  Mirajah  wafers  wrought 
lightning  cures  all  the  way  from  "stone-bruise"  of  the  heel  to  nasal 
polyp  and  influenza,  and  some  of  them  are  male  patients  too. 

With  the  foregoing  as  an  impetus  to  investigate  the  nature 
of  this  much  advertised  nostrum,  the  wafers  were  submitted 
to  analysis  by  the  Association  laboratory.  The  report  follows : 

LABORATORY    FINDINGS 

Trade  packages  of  the  wafers  purchased  on  the  open  market 
bear  the  name  of  the  preparation  and  that  of  the  manufactur- 
ers, Micajah  &  Co.,  Warren,  Pa.  The  label  states  that  the 
nostrum  is  a: 

"Disinfectant,  astringent  and  local  alterative  of  the  greatest 
virtue.  A  remedy  for  the  local  treatment  of  the  diseases  of  women. 
Inflammation,  engorgement  and  prolapse  of  the  womb,  vaginitis. 
loiiroiThea,  menstrual  derangvmmts  and  the  disturbances  incidental 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  139 

to  the  menopause.  Also  highly  recommended  for  affections  of  the 
mucous  membranes  in  general,  particularly  those  of  the  nose,  the 
throat,  the  rectum,  and  for  gonorrhea,  cystitis,  etc." 

"This   box   contains   wafers   for   three   months'    treatment." 

"Price  per  box  $1.00." 

The  box  contained  25  tablets,  and  a  circular  entitled,  "Hints 
on  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women,"  in  which  directions 
for  the  treatment  of  many  diseases  are  given.  It  ends  with  a 
paragraph  which  contains  the  following  statement: 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  the  field  of  usefulness  of  Micajah's  Wafers 
can  be  indefinitely  enlarged  by  the  ingenuity  and  therapeutic  skill 
of  the  physician." 

Much  of  the  advertising  "literature"  is  in  the  form  of  leaf- 
lets, brochures  and  small  pamphlets  full  of  testimonials  by 
physicians. 

Micajah's  uterine  wafers  as  found  on  the  market  are  white, 
hexagonal  tablets,  odorless  and  possessing  an  astringent  taste. 
The  wafers  are  soluble  in  water  with  extreme  difficulty.  Hot 
hydrochloric  acid  and  alkali  hydroxids  dissolve  the  powdered 
tablets  readily,  leaving  a  slight  residue  whic.h  under  the  micro- 
scope and  by  physical  tests  was  identified  as  lycopodium. 

The  acid  solution  of  the  wafers  responded  to  qualitative 
tests  which  indicated  the  presence  of  potassium,  sodium,  alum- 
inum, sulphate,  borate  and  a  mere  .trace  of  a  fatty  material. 
Quantitative  estimation  of  boric  acid,  aluminum,  sulphate, 
sodium  and  potassium  were  made,  which  indicated  that  Mica- 
jah's Uterine  Wafers  consist  of  alum  more  or  less  anhydrous 
or  "burnt,"  boric  acid  and  borax  in  approximately  the  follow- 
ing proportions:1 

Alum,    dried     59.86  per  cent. 

Borax,    dried    15. C2  per  cent. 

Boric    acid    5.G7  per  cent. 

Water   of   hydration 18.85  per  cent. 

The  average  weight  of  the  tablets  is  0.7791  gm.  (11.8 
grains)  and  allowing  for  the  fact  that  the  quantity  of  water 
present  in  commercial  exsiccated  alum  varies,  each  tablet 
would  contain  approximately  0.4986  gm.  (7.8  grains)  burnt 
alum;  0.2337  gm.  (3.6  grains)  crystallized  borax,  and  0.0467 
gm.  (0.7  grain)  boric  acid. 

COMMENT 

Judging  from  the  "literature"  that  goes  with  the  packages 
of  this  nostrum,  one  might  imagine  that  it  was  put  up  abso- 
lutely for  the  layman,  but  this  is  not  the  case.  It  is  advertised 
only  jn  medical  journals  and  not  directly  to  the  public.  But 
direct  advertising  to  the  public  is  not  necessary ;  for  every 
physician  who  prescribes  these  wafers  at  the  same  time  places 
in  the  hands  of  his  patient  advertising  matter  intended  to 
influence  that  patient — and  it  usually  does.  As  a  result  this 
preparation  is  being  bought  by  the  public  direct.  To  what 

1.  Details  of  this  analysis  appear  in  the  annual  report  for  1910 
of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Association. 


140  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

extent  we  do  not  know,  but  physicians  are  responsible  for  it. 
Probably  if  physicians  realized  that  the  same  interests  that 
control  Piso's  Consumption  Cure  also  control  Micajah's  Medi- 
cated Uterine  Wafers  they  would  not  be  so  ready  to  act  as 
the  unpaid  agents  for  the  concern. 

That  such  simple  astringents  and  feeble  antiseptics  as  alum, 
borax  and  boric  acid  could  have  such  remarkable  curative 
effects  on  uterine  diseases  is  absurd.  The  serious  aspect  of  the 
matter  is,  that,  by  the  encouragement  given  them  in  the  adver- 
tising literature  to  treat  themselves,  women  may  neglect 
proper  surgical  or  medical  attention  in  the  early  stages  of 
serious  diseases  such  as  cancer  or  dangerous  pelvic  infections, 
until  they  get  beyond  the  hope  of  proper  management.  But 
when  nostrum  promoters  urge  the  use  of  such  inefficient  rem- 
edies in  the  treatment  of  gonorrhea,  it  is  time  to  look  at  the 
matter  seriously.  Considering  the  vital  social  significance  of 
the  venereal  diseases,  the  employment  of  useless  remedies  can 
only  favor  the  spread  of  these  infections,  which  cause  such 
a  large  proportion  of  the  diseases  which  afflict  women  particu- 
larly. 

The  medical  profession  for  the  most  part  has  become  men- 
tally calloused  to  the  exaggerated  claims  of  the  nostrum 
makers  and  does  not  make  sufficient  effort  to  condemn  them. 
There  may  be  some  physicians,  however,  who  use  such  prepara- 
tions as  these  wafers  in  their  practice,  as  is  indicated  by  the 
circulars  wherein  the  manufacturers  suggest  that  their  "use- 
fulness can  be  indefinitely  enlarged  by  the  ingenuity  and 
therapeutic  skill  of  the  physician."  It  is  only  occasionally 
that  a  physician  voices  his  indignation  as  to  these  humbugs, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  physician  whose  letter  is  quoted  above. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  26,  1910.) 

The  Firm   Replies 

To  the  Editor: — We  have  read  with  interest  the  report  of 
your  committee  on  pharmacology  recently  published  in  THE 
JOURNAL,  on  the  subject  of  Micajah's  Medicated  Uterine 
Wafers,  and  your  comments  thereon. 

We  are  of  the  opinion  that,  in  your  laudable  efforts  to 
reform  the  practice  of  pharmacology,  it  is  not  your  desire  or 
intention  to  act  other  than  justly  and  fairly,  and  therefore, 
with  this  belief,  we  submit  the  following  statements  for  your 
consideration,  with  the  hope  that  you  will  see  fit  to  publish 
them. 

1.  We  do  not  seek'  by  word  or  deed  the  patronage  of  the 
laity,  and  what  few  sales  are  made  to  the  public  are  not  of 
our  contriving,  nor  should  we  be  held  responsible  for  them,  any 
more  than  is  the  manufacturer  of  quinin  to  be  blamed  for  the 
universal  use  of  that  drug. 

2.  Our  literature  should  not  be  considered  extravagant,  for 
it  is  for  the  most  part  made  up  of  clinical  reports  received 
from  physicians  and  based  on  the  unsolicited  testimonials  in 
our  possession  from  hundreds  of  practitioners,  many  of  whom 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  141 

have  used  Micajah's  Wafers  in  practice  from  five  to  twenty 
years  and  they  are  therefore  as  well  grounded  as  are  the  clin- 
ical reports  concerning  any  preparation. 

3.  In  the  past  year  we  have  endeavored  to  place  our  prepara- 
tion on  a  higher  ethical  basis  by  stating  in  our  advertisements 
what  our  wafers  contain,  and  by  eliminating  whatever  seems 
to  us  open  to  criticism. 

4.  That  the  ingredients  of  the  preparation   are  "simple"  is 
no  reason  for  considering  them  valueless.     H.  A.  Kelly,  in  his 
work    on    medical    gynecology,    page    266,    recommends    these 
ingredients  in   a   variety   of'  conditions.     Bandler  also   made 
important    recommendations    bearing   on    this    subject    in    his 
"Medical   Gynecology,"   1909   edition,   page   472.     We   feel   we 
have  the  right  to  recommend  this  preparation  for  these  and 
similar  conditions,  especially  when  our  statements  are  backed 
up  by  the  clinical  experience  of  numerous  general  practitioners. 

5.  That   the   owner   of   Micajah's   Wafers   holds   stock  in   a 
corporate  firm  which  manufactures  proprietary  medicines  and 
toilet  articles,  advertised  to  the  laity,  should  not  militate  for 
or  against  our  right  to  market  a  meritorious  preparation  on 
strictly  ethical  lines  to  the  medical  profession,  inasmuch   as 
many  of  the  largest  drug  houses  cater  to  both  the  doctor  and 
the  proprietary  interests,  and  several  are  actively  engaged  in 
exploiting  so-called  nostrums. 

6.  We    enclose    a    recent    advertisement    which    has    been 
accepted  after  investigation  of  our  methods  by  careful  medical 
journals,  and  we  now  believe  we  are  conducting  our  business 
in  entire  conformity  with   the   best   interests   of  the   medical 
profession   and   we   feel    certain    of   the    true   merits   of    our 
article.  MICAJAH  &  COMPANY,  Warren,  Pa. 

[COMMENT:  This  letter  brings  out  still  more  strongly  the 
points  raised  in  the  article  which  appeared  in  THE  JOURNAL, 
March  26,  1910.  Being  unable  to  analyze  motives  we  must 
perforce,  accept  Micajah  &  Co.'s  statement  that  they  "do  not 
seek  by  word  or  deed  the  patronage  of  the  laity."  In 
the  comments  on  the  laboratory's  report  it  was  very  explicitly 
stated  that  this  nostrum  was  advertised  only  in  medical 
journals  and  not  directly  to  the  public.  Inasmuch,  however, 
as  the  container  in  which  this  product  comes  has  printed 
on  it  the  various  diseases  in  which  the  "wafers"  are  indi- 
cated, as,  moreover,  within  the  container  there  is  a  leaflet 
which  describes  in  detail  the  use  of  the  preparation  in  a  list 
of  pathologic  states  varying  from  "enlargement  of  the  womb" 
to  "gonorrhea  in  the  male,"  and,  finally,  as  the  name  "uterine 
wafers"  would  seem  in  itself  to  be  a  plain  bid  to  the  public, 
we  still  maintain  that  "one  might  imagine  that  it  was  put  up 
absolutely  for  the  layman." 

The  proposition  that  advertising  matter  should  not  be  con- 
sidered extravagant  because  it  is  largely  "made  up  of  clinical 
reports  received  from  physicians"  is  an  argument  that  is  as 
old  as  the  nostrum  business  itself — and  as  fallacious  as  it  is 
old.  Unfortunately,  as  our  files  show,  the  most  extravagant 
statements  made  for  proprietary  products  frequently  emanate 


142  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

from  men  who  legally  are  entitled  to  write  M.D.  after  their 
name.  The  fact  that  it  is,  not  the  manufacturer,  but  a 
Buffalo  physician  who  tells  of  the  marvelous  results  lie 
obtained  from  the  use  of  Micajah's  Medicated  Uterine  Wafers 
in  forty-three  cases  comprising  no  fewer  than  thirty-six  path- 
ologic conditions  from  "otitis  media"  to  "injured  toe,"  and 
from  "bunion"  to  ophthalmia  neonatorum  "does  not  exempt 
the  firm  that  prints  such  stuff  from  the  charge  that  its 
"literature"  is  not  merely  extravagant,  but  ridiculously  so. 

As  Micajah  &  Co.  say,  because  the  ingredients  of  their 
preparation  are  simple  is  no  reason  for  considering  them 
valueless.  On  the  contrary,  if  the  "wafers"  were  truthfully 
exploited  for  what  they  are  and  what  they  will  do,  their  very 
simplicity  would  be  a  virtue.  But  such  has  not  been  done. 
And  therein  lies  the  viciousness  of  nostrums.  Simple  mixtures 
of  well-known  drugs  are  foisted  on  the  medical  profession 
with  no  hint  as  to  their  composition  and  with  claims  made  that 
are  not  only  false,  but  would  immediately  be  recognized  as 
absurd,  if  their  actual  composition  were  known. 

That  a  mixture  of  borax  and  alum  may  be  of  value 
in  some  of  the  simple  ailments  of  the  female  genital  tract  can 
easily  be  granted.  That  relief  might  follow  the  use  of  sup- 
positories made  of  these  ingredients — especially  when  sup- 
plemented by  an  increased  attention  to  simple  cleanliness — 
can  also  be  admitted.  To  say,  however,  that  such  medicaments 
will  quickly  and  permanently  cure  gonorrhea,  urethritis,  endo- 
metritis,  etc.,  is  foolish,  false  and  vicious.] — (From  The  Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  April  16,  1910.) 


NOITOL  AND   ANADOL 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  L.  E.  Warren 

Noitol 

THE  JotRNAL  received  an  inquiry  concerning  the  composition 
of  Noitol,  a  preparation  which  is  being  advertised  to  the  med- 
ical profession  as  a  "specific"  for  the  cure  of  eczema  and 
certain  other  cutaneous  diseases.  The  preparation  is  manu- 
factured by  the  Wheeler  Chemical  Works,  Chicago.  Trade 
packages  of  Noitol  were  purchased  and  examined  in  the  Asso- 
ciation laboratory.  On  the  label  of  the  package,  Noitol — an 
inversion  of  the  word  "lotion" — is  described  as  follows: 


NOITOL 

(On.  BRADBURY'S  ECZEMA  LOTION.) 

For  External  Application  Only ! 

Our  Most  Popular  Specialty. 

A  specific  for  the  cure  of  Eczema,  Scrofulous  and 
Syphilitic  Eruptions,  Lupus,  Salt  Rheum,  Tetter,  Itch. 
This  remedy  is  composed  of  valuable  Oils,  combined  with 
Vegetable  and  Mineral  Acids  in  such  proportions  as  cause 
a  rapid  and  permanent  cure  of  the  above  complaints. 


LMMtJiATOltY     CONTRIBUTIONS  143 

Noitol  is  a  clear,  nearly  colorless,  acid  solution,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  is  water.  Its  specific  gravity  is  1.0097  at 
25  C. 

Qualitative  tests  demonstrated  the  presence  of  a  chlorid,  a 
nitrate,  a  mercuric  salt,  free  acid  and  glycerin.  No  "oils"  or 
"vegetable  acids"  could  be  found. 

Analysis1  of  the  preparation  indicated  that  its  compo- 
sition is  essentially  as  follows: 


Mercuric    Chlorid     

Mercuric    Nitrate     

Glycerin    

Nitric  Acid    

Water    (by    difference) 


0.0463  gm.   in  100  c.c. 

0.0450  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

1.3021  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

1.0265  gm/  in  100  c.c. 

98.5545  gm.   in  100  c.c. 


From  the  above  it  appears  that  Noitol  is  simply  a  weak, 
acid  solution  of  mercury  salts — the  total  being  approximately 
equivalent  to  a  1  to  1,000  bichlorid  of  mercury  solution — 
exploited  under  a  meaningless  name.  It  is  but  one  more 
example  of  the  old,  old  story  of  a  well-known  remedy  being 
sold  at  a  high  price  under  a  name  which  is  in  no  way  indic- 
ative of  its  composition,  and  under  claims  which  are  absurdly 
false. 

The  price  of  the  mixture  is  $2.00  a  pint;  the  estimated  cost, 
exclusive  of  the  container,  is  about  6  cents  a  gallon,  or,  put 
another  way:  the  price  of  a  pint  bottle,  it  is  estimated, 
would  make  a  barrel  (31  gallons)  of  the  nostrum.  The  incor- 
rect statement  made  concerning  its  components,  the  unwar- 
ranted therapeutic  claims  made  for  it,  and  the  exorbitant  price 
easily  place  Noitol  in  the  front  rank  among  the  "patent  med- 
icine" frauds.  Yet  it  is  advertised  to  physicians  as  an  ethical 
proprietary  and  is  evidently  being  prescribed  by  them. 

Anaaol 

In  the  circular  matter  accompanying  the  trade  package  of 
the  preparation,  "Noitol,"  described  above,  a  preparation 
called  "Anadol"  is  described.  Anadol  is  claimed  to  be  an 
analgesic  and  antipyretic.  In  the  descriptive  circular  there 
is  no  information  concerning  the  composition  of  the  prepara- 
tion, but  from  the  general  therapeutic  description  the  physi- 
cian might  easily  be  led  to  believe  that  "Anadol"  is  a  distinct 
chemical  substance. 

To  reduce  temperature  the  physician  is  advised  to  push 
the  administration  of  Anadol  in  10  grain  doses  until  the 
febrile  condition  is  under  control  or  until  a  maximum  of  70 
grains  of  the  preparation  has  been  ingested.  The  circular 
further  states: 

".  .  .  .  in  this  lies  the  special  value  of  ANADOL;  there  are 
no  annoying  by-effects ;  the  stomach  bears  the  remedy  well  and 
neither  circulation,  respiration,  nor  the  nerve  centers  show  the 
least  disturbance." 

1.  Details  of  this  analysis  are  published  in  the  annual  report 
for  1910  of  the  Gnomical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. 


144  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

As  no  evidence  could  be  obtained  concerning  the  composi- 
tion of  Anadol  and,  as  the  preparation  is  being  brought  to 
the  attention  of  physicians  by  means  of  circulars  in  connection 
with  the  distribution  of  Noitol,  it  seemed  worth  while  to  take 
up  its  examination  in  the  Association  laboratory.  Accordingly 
a  trade  package  of  the  material  which  had  passed  into  inter- 
state commerce  was  purchased. 

Qualitative  tests  demonstrated  the  presence  of  sodium,  a 
carbonate,  caffein  and  acetanilid,  the  latter  in  considerable 
quantities.  Analysis2  indicated  that  the  composition  of  the 
specimen  examined  is  essentially  as  follows: 

Acetanilid    79  per  cent. 

Caffein    1  per  cent. 

Sodium    bicarbonate    20  per  cent. 

Since,  according  to  the  circular,  it  is  permissible  to  pre- 
scribe 70  grains  of  this  preparation  within  2%  hours,  a 
patient  thus  treated  would  receive  no  less  than  55  grains  of 
acetanilid!  In  view  of  the  numerous  cases  of  poisoning  due 
to  the  misuse  of  acetanilid  ("The  Harmful  Effects  of  Acetan- 
ilid, Antipyrin  and  Phenacetin,"  U.  S.  Dept.  Agric.,  Bur. 
Chem.,  Bull.  No.  126)  the  physician  should  be  apprised  of  the 
composition  of  Anadol. 

EDITORIAL  NOTE:  The  chemical  investigations  reported 
above  emphasize  once  more  the  need  of  such  an  institution  as 
the  Association's  laboratory  and  again  demonstrate  the  value 
of  its  work.  At  first  sight  it  seems  disheartening  to  find  that 
physicians  are  so  easily  humbugged.  Yet  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  it  is  impracticable  for  physicians  either  to  analyze 
such  products  themselves  or  to  go  to  the  expense  of  having 
chemists  do  it  for  them,  it  is  evident  that  the  fault  lies  not 
so  much  with  the  physicians  as  with  the  conditions  that  make 
the  exploitations  of  such  frauds  possible.  It  is  on  the  public 
that  the  burden  ultimately  falls,  for  it  is  the  layman  who 
has  to  pay  two  dollars  for  a  few  cents'  worth  of  medicine. 
But — and  this  is  far  more  serious — that  the  physician  should 
be  urged  to  dose  his  patient  with  an  insidioiisly  dangerous 
drug  to  a  point  far  beyond  the  limits  of  safety,  is  little  less 
than  criminal.  Yet  so  long  as  unknown  medicinal  products 
are  prescribed  just  so  long  will  this  danger  be  a  very  real  one. 
—(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  21,  1910.) 

Anadol    Declared   Misbranded 

Anadol  was  analyzed  at  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  and  the 
chemists  reported  that  it  contained  over  82  per  cent,  of  ace- 
tanilid. As  the  labels  did  not  bear  any  statement  as  to  the 
quantity  of  acetanilid  contained  in  the  nostrum,  the  stuff  was 
declared  misbranded  and  the  defendant,  on  pleading  guilty, 
was  fined. — [Notice  of  Judgment,  No.  795.] 

2.  Details  of  this  analysis  are  published  in  the  annual  report 
for  1910  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. 


LA  BO  RA  TOltY 


SALIODIN 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  A.  H.  Clark 

[The  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  refused  recogni- 
tion to  Saliodin  because  it  conflicts  with  Rules  1  and  C,  and 
directed  publication  of  the  following. 

W.  A.  PUCKNER,  Secretary.] 

Saliodin  is  sold  by  the  Saliodin  Chemical  Co.,  Scranton,  Pa. 
In  the  literature  and  on  the  trade  package  the  following 
"formula"  is  given: 


FORMULA 

Each  Grs.  XX  of.  Saliodin  contains  approximately: 


Salicylic  Acid.  (Aceto— Salicylatc)  -  -  Grs.  XV 
Iodine,  (lodate)  Equivalent  to  Iodide  Potass  Grs.  XV 
Acetic  Acid,  (Acetate)  Equiv.  to  Acetate  Potass  Grs.  V 
Aconite  -  Equiy.  to  jjftTr.  Aconite  R.  Gtts.  IV 
Bryonia  -  -  "  •«  «  .  Tr.  Bryonia.  Gtts.  V 
Colchicum  -  "  "  Vin.  ColchicumR.Gtts.  XV 

Capsicum  "  -  "  "  -  Tr.  Capsicum  Gtts.  II 
Oil  Gaultheria  "  -  -  -  -  *t  III 


This  formula  being  indefinite  and  vague,  the  examination 
of  saliodin  was  taken  up  in  the  Association  laboratory. 

From  the  analysis  we  calculate  the  composition  of  saliodin 
to  be  approximately  equivalent  to  a  mixture  of: 


Sodium  salicylate   ............................. 

Potassium  iodid    .............................. 

Potassium  acetate    ............................ 

Matter  volatile  at  130°    (oil  of  anise,  oil  of  gaul- 
theria,  moisture,  etc.)  ........................ 

Undetermined  (extractive?)    .................... 


57.54 

1.18 

30.00 

8.10 
3.18 

100.00 


The  analysis  shows  that  the  formula  is  not  only  indefinite 
and  vague,  but  incorrect  and  false. 

To  emphasize  the  incorrectness  of  the  published  formula 
the  following  comment  on  its  first  two  items  is  offered: 

In  the  "formula"  it  is  stated  that  20  grains  of  saliodin 
contain  approximately  "salicylic  acid  (aceto-salicylate)  Grs. 
XV."  The  statement  is  not  clear,  but  conveys  the  impression 
that  20  grains  of  saliodin  contain  an  amount  of  an  aceto- 
salicylate,  a  salt  of  acetyl-salicylic  acid  (aspirin),  equivalent 
to  15  grains  of  salicylic  acid.  But  the  chemical  examination 
shows  that  it  contains  neither  acetyl-salicylic  acid,  or  salt  of 
acetyl-salicylic  acid,  nor  even  salicylic  acid  itself.  In  the 
place  of  these,  the  analysis  shows  that  over  half  of  saliodin  is 
the  common,  every-day  sodium  salicylate. 

According  to  the  "formula,"  each  20  grains  of  saliodin 
contains  "iodin  (iodate),  equivalent  to  iodid  potass.  Grs.  XV." 
This  statement,  too,  is  vague,  but  conveys  the  impression  that 
20  grains  of  saliodin  contain  an  amount  of  iodin,  in  combina- 


146  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM      • 

tion  as  an  iodate,  which  corresponds  in  iodin  content  to  15 
grains  of  potassium  iodid.  But  the  analysis  shows  that  the 
product  does  not  contain  any  iodate  whatever,  and  that  the 
amount  of  iodin  contained  in  it  is  sufficient  to  account  for 
only  */4  grain  of  potassium  iodid  in  ^ach  20  grains  of  saliodin. 

COMMENTS 

The  above  report  is  published  simply  as  another  example 
of  the  "ethical  proprietaries"  that  physicians  are  asked  to 
prescribe.  It  is  not  unique.  It  is  neither  better  nor  worse 
than  hundreds  of  others. 

To  show  what  absurdities  appear  in  the  "literature''  (?) 
that  is  sent  to  physicians,  we  reproduce  a  paragraph  from  an 
auvertising  pamphlet.  The  promoters'  statement  as  to  the 
composition  of  the  product  is  absurd,  but  not  more  so  than 
are  the  claims  made  for  it  as  a  therapeutic  agent.  There  ii 


It  is  an  "lodated,  Aceto-Salicylate  with  Adjuvants."  and  the  SPECIFIC 
treatment  fqrjvery  form_of  URIC  ACID  DIATHESIS.  "Saliodin"  is  a  SOL- 
VENT and  ELIMINANT  of  URIC  ACID  and  is  a  happy  combination  of 
IJ  Salicylic  Acid,  Iodine,  Acetic  Acid,  Aconite,  Bryonia,  Colchicum,  Capsicum 
and  Gaultheria  and  chemically  appears  in  the  form  of  a  PINK,  GREYISH 
POWDER  soluable  in  water  1  to.  3— dose  grs.  X  to  grs.  XXX;  for  the  EX- 
CLUSIVE USE  OF  PHYSICIANS— put  up  in  one  ounce  bottles;  price  PER 
OUNCE  $1.50.  Is  manufactured  ONLY  by  the  Saliodin  Chemical  Co.  "SAL- 
IODIN is  SPECIFICALLY  indicated  in  RHEUMATISM,  GOUT  NEU- 
RALGIA, MALARIA  and  LA  GRIPPE;  is  ANALGESIC.  ANTIPYRET- 
IC; an  INTESTINAL  ANTISEPTIC.  DIAPHORETIC,  DIURETIC,  EX- 
PECTORANT. DEOBSTRUENT.  SIALAGOGUE,  CHOLAGOGUE,  EM- 
MENAGOGUE.  ANTI-SYPHILITIC,  GONOCOCOCIDAL,  PARASITICI- 
DAL,  ASEPTIC.  BACTERICIDAL  and  ALTERATIVE.  Doctor,  you 
may  prescribe  Saliodin  with  confidence  wherever  IODINE  or  a  SALICY- 
LATE  is  indicated.  Used  both  internally  and  externally. 


Reproduction  (much  reduced)  of  a  paragraph  In  the  advertising 
pamphlet  on  Saliodin.  Note  the  twenty-one  indications  for  Saliodin. 
Lest  some  condition  might  be  overlooked,  we  are  advised  to  use  it 
"internally  and  externally."  Isn't  this  scientific  therapy? 

not  a  "patent  medicine"  on  the  market  for  which  any  more 
blatant,  extravagant  and  ridiculous  claims  are  made. 

The  manner  of  exploiting  saliodin  is  i>  jother  illustration 
of  the  tendency  on  the  part  of  nostrum-makers  to  advertise 
4.h«ir  wares  through  pseudo-scientific  articles  published  in  a 
certain  class  of  medical  journals.  In  the  pamphlet  sent  out  bv 
the  Saliodin  company  appears  a  reprint  of  an  article  from  the 
Philadelphia  Medical  Summary  of  February,  19<  5.  It  is 
entitled  "A  Similarity  in  the  Etiologic  Factors  of  Rheumatism 
and  Malaria,"  and  was  written  by  J.  C.  Denston,  M.D.  In  it- 
occurs  this  statement:  "The  manufacturers  (of  saliodin) 
publish  their  formula  and,  I  think,  distribute  samples  and 
literature  on  request."  The  charming  ingenuousness  of  this 
statement  is  fully  realized  when  it  is  understood  that  J.  C. 
Denston  is  the  president  of  the  Saliodin  company.  This  is 


LABORATORY     COXTNIIfl'TJOXti  147 

also  another  illustration  of  what  is  now  a  common  occurrence, 
viz.:  men  who  are  engaged  in  manufacturing  proprietary 
products  and  who  have  an  M.D.  degree  use  that  degree  as  a 
commercial  asset,  and  by  this  means  the  average  reader  is 
led  to  think  that  articles  written  by  them  in  praise  of  their 
own  products  are  spontaneous  tributes  from  practicing  phy- 
sicians.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  26,  1907.) 


TABLETS    OF    BISMUTH,    OPIUM    AND    PHENOL 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  A.  H.  Clark 

CONTRIBUTION    NO.    1 

The  demand  for  "palatable  and  convenient"  medicaments 
has  led  manufacturing  pharmacists  to  attempt  to  produce  in 
tablet  form  mixtures  which,  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  are 
not  suited  to  that  method  of  compounding.  In  such  cases 


-Manufacturer. 

I  lance   Bros,    and   White  
W.   S.   Men-ell  Chemical  Co  
H.  K.  Mulford  &  Co  
Parke,  Davis  &  Co  (No.  1)  
Parke   Davis  &  Co    (No   *>) 

o£g                       0                      KZc. 

!»-       §       ^J 

Ho-           »          gS|^ 

ll'oi     fj     i||| 

%<*+**        g~        gat 

1                    2                    3 
8.45              1.85              21.89 
6.30              3.08              48.89 
1.72                .90              52.34 
6.08               .  .  .              70.23 
5.87              2.74              47.02 
8.41              6.11              72.6q 
8.23              2.85              34.63 
7.27              1.93              26.55 
10.03              1.36              13.69 
9.19              4.24              46.14 
8.98              3.49              39.31 
12.08              1.53              12.66 

by    dividing    the     difference     in 
est  tablet  by  the  average  weight 
ne  hundred, 
ibtained   by    dividing    the    highest 
per  cent,   of  phenol   indicated  by 
multiplying  this  quotient  by  one 

Sharp  &  Dohme  (No.  1)  
Sharp  &  Dohme   (No.  2)  
Frederick  Stearns  &  Co  
Truax,  Greene  &  Co  
H.  K.  Wampole  &  Co.  (No.  1)  
H.  K.  Wampole  &  Co.   (No.  2)  .  .  .  . 
Wm.  R.  Warner  &  Co  

"These    figures    were    obtained 
weight   of  the   heaviest   and   light 
and  multiplying  this  quotient  by  o 
*The   figures   given    here    are   c 
per  cent,  of  phenol   found  by  the 
the  formula  on   the  package  and 
hundred. 

it  becomes  a  question  as  to  what  reliance  the  physician  may 
place  in  such  products,  and  so  an  examination  of  a  type  of 
these  preparations  was  made  in  the  Association's  laboratory. 

Nearly  every  manufacturing  pharmacist  lists  in  his  cat- 
alogue a  tablet  composed  of  bismuth,  opium  and  phenol  (car- 
bolic acid).  According  to  the  price  lists  and  labels,  each  tab- 
let contains  either  five  or  three  grains  of  bismuth  subnitrate, 
one  grain  of  aromatic  powder,  one-half  grain  of  powdered 
opium  and  one-half  grain  (in  one  case  one-eighth  grain)  of 
phenol. 


148  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Specimens  of  different  makes  of  this  tablet  were  purchased, 
in  open  market  and  from  the  manufacturer,  and  were  exam- 
ined to  determine  the  amount  of  phenol  each  contained.  A 
long  series  of  experiments,  the  details  of  which  will  be  pub- 
lished elsewhere,  were  carried  out  to  determine  the  best  method 
of  estimating  the  amount  of  phenol  in  mixtures  of  this  nature. 

The  results  here  tabulated  were  obtained  from  the  exami- 
nation of  specimens  purchased  direct  from  the  manufac- 
turer. At  least  one  other  specimen — bought  in  the  open 
market — of  each  manufacturer  was  examined,  the  latter  giving 
in  nearly  every  instance  a  lower  figure,  probably  because  it 
had  been  in  stock  longer.  In  the  few  cases  in  which  the  latter 
specimen  gave  a  higher  result,  both  findings  are  given. 

The  essential  point  brought  out  by  the  table  is,  of  course, 
that  shown  by  the  figures  in  Column  3 — "Amount  Found  Ex- 
pressed as  Per  Cent,  of  Amount  Claimed."  It  should  be  real- 
ized that  if  the  tablets  contained  the  amount  of  phenol 
claimed,  the  numbers  in  this  column  would  all  be  100.  But 
instead  of  this  even  the  best  specimen  contained  only  72.65 
per  cent.,  while  some  ranged  as  low  as  12.66  per  cent. 

These  tablets  are  a  typical  illustration  of  the  attempts  to 
produce,  in  "elegant  and  palatable  form,"  the  impossible — im- 
possible at  least  without  care  and  expense.  From  the  nature 
of  the  processes  involved  in  the  manufacture  of  a  tablet,  it 
is  very  difficult  to  produce  one  containing  a  definite  amount 
of  a  volatile  substance  like  carbolic  acid.  Accuracy  in  dosage 
is  indispensable  to  the  scientific  administration  of  drugs.  In 
medicinal  preparations  of  the  type  just  described  the  essential 
— accuracy — is  sacrificed  for  the  merely  desirable — ^convenience 
and  palatability.  To  the  extent  to  which  physicians  prescribe, 
as  tablets,  combination  of  drugs  that  cannot  be  successfully 
put  up  in  that  form,  to  that  extent  does  scientific  medicine 
suffer. — (Modified  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  25,  1908.) 

W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

CONTRIBUTION   NO.    2 

More  than  two  years  ago  the  examination  of  tablets  of 
bismuth,  opium  and  phenol  was  taken  up  in  the  Association 
laboratory  to  determine  the  reliability  of  pharmaceutical 
preparations  of  complex  formulas,  more  or  less  difficult  to 
prepare.  The  result  of  this  examination,  published  in  THE 
JOURNAL,  July  25,  1908,  p.  330,  showed  that  the  tablets  sold 
by  different  firms  contained  amounts  of  phenol  ranging  from 
72.65  per  cent,  down  to  12.66  per  cent,  of  the  amount  the 
tablets  were  claimed  to  contain.  In  discussing  this  discrepancy 
three  questions  may  be  asked:  1.  Are  these  supposedly 
reputable  firms  deliberately  selling  these  products  below 
standard?  2.  Are  these  firms  unable  to  determine  the  quality 
of  their  product?  3.  Do  these  firms  merely  neglect  to  deter- 
mine the  composition  of  the  finished  product?  In  other  words, 
are  these  firms  dishonest,  incompetent  or  merely  negligent? 
Considering  the  standing  of  the  firms  named  in  the  report, 
one  would  hesitate  to  say  that  these  discrepancies  were  due 


LA  ItOJtA  TORY     CONTRIBUTIONS 


149 


either  to  dishonesty  or  to  incompetence  and  would  be  inclined 
to  take  the  more  charitable  view  of  negligence. 

Two  years  having  elapsed  and  the  report  of  the  laboratory 
having  been  given  the  widest  publicity,  it  would  seem  that 
if  these  firms  were  ignorant  of  the  real  composition  of  their 
product  at  the  time  the  examination  was  made  and  published, 
they  would  by  this  time  have  had  ample  opportunity  to 
correct  the  matter,  and  either  to  have  brought  the  products 
up  to  the  claim  or  else  to  have  discontinued  their  sale. 

To  determine  whether  the  discrepancies  pointed  out  in  the 
report  referred  to  could  be  ascribed  to  ignorance  and  whether 
the  firms  had  made  any  effort  to  improve  the  quality  of 


Manufacturer. 


Hance    Bros.    & 

1908 

1910 

1908 

1910 

1908 

1910 

White    

8.45 

8.19 

1.85 

2.80 

21.89 

34.19 

+  12.30 

W.     S.     Merrell 

Chem.     Co... 

6.30 

6.91 

3.08 

3.98 

48.89 

57.59 

+    8.70 

H.     K.     Mulford 

Co  

1.72 

1.70 

0.90 

1.08 

52.34 

63.53 

+  11.19 

Parke,     Davis 

&  Co  

6.08 

5.42 

2.54 

70.23 

46.86 

—  23.37 

Sharpe  &  Dohme 

8.41 

8.49 

e'.ii 

4.43 

72.65 

53.39 

—19.26 

F.      Stearns      & 

Co  

7.27 

7.51 

1.93 

1.74 

26.55 

23.17 

—  3.38 

Truax,       Greene 

&  Co  

10.03 

10.00 

1.36 

2.81 

13.69 

28.09 

+  14.40 

H.    K.    Wampole 

&   Co  

8.98 

8.80 

3.49 

4.73 

39.31 

53.75 

+  14.44 

W.  R.  Warner  & 

Co  

12.08 

12.15 

1.53 

1.49 

12.66 

12.27 

—  0.39 

0  These  figures  were  calculated  from  the  claimed  phenol-con- 
tent of  each  tablet  and  the  average  weight  of  the  tablets  found. 

6  These  figures  were  calculated  from  the  percentage  of  phenol 
claimed  (Column  1)  and  the  percentage  found  (Column  2). 

the  products,  specimens  of  these  tablets  as  sold  by  each  of 
the  firms  concerned  in  the  first  report  were  again  purchased 
from  one  of  the  large  wholesale  drug  houses  and  their  phenol 
content  again  determined.1  The  following  table  gives  the 
result  of  this  examination. 

From  the  above  results  it  is  seen  that  at  the  present  time 
the  phenol-content  of  the  tablet  now  ranges  from  a  maximum 
of  63.53  per  cent,  down  to  a  minimum  of  12.27  per  cent,  of 
that  claimed  on  the  label.  The  products  of  some  of  the 
firms  have  improved  somewhat,  while  the  products  of  others 
are  worse  than  they  were  two  years  ago.  On  the  whole,  it 
seems  that  many  of  the  firms  still  sell  these  products  with- 
out being  greatly  concerned  as  to  their  composition.  But 

J.  For  method  of  analysis  see  "Method  B."  in  the  annual  report 
for  1908  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  cf  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation. 


150 

one  firm,  whose  product  contains  nearly  two-thirds  (%)  of 
the  amount  of  phenol  claimed,  the  H.  K.  Mulford  Co.,  appears 
to  have  considered  the  past  report.  The  trade  package  now 
bears  the  following  legend:  "The  amount  of  phenol  in  this 
tablet  on  account  of  its  volatile  nature  is  approximate."  It 
would  seem,  then,  that,  of  the  three  alternatives  suggested, 
the  one  ascribing  this  discrepancy  to  negligence  must  be  dis- 
carded and  the  profession  must  decide  whether  it  is  to  be 
attributed  to  incompetence  or  dishonesty. 

[EDITORIAL  NOTE: — The  findings  of  the  Association  chemists 
are  not  creditable  to  the  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  con- 
cerned. The  question  asked  is  a  serious  one.  Regarding  at 
least  most  of  the  firms  the  charge  of  incompetence  would 
hardly  hold,  since  they  employ  chemists  who  are  men  of 
standing  and  are  known  to  be  entirely  competent  to  control 
the  manufacture  of  their  products.  To  say  that  these  firms 
are  dishonest  in  the  matter  is  a  serious  charge  and  no  one 
will  believe  for  a  moment  that  they  deliberately  used  a  defi- 
cient amount  of  drug  for  the  sake  of  saving  a  few  paltry 
cents  in  the  manufacture  of  these  tablets.  We  would  be 
inclined  to  take  the  view  that  these  firms  have  little  respect 
for  physicians  who  use  such  complex  mixtures;  that,  though 
producing,  as  a  general  rule,  reliable  and  honest  medicines 
they  believe  that  in  the  case  of  products  such  as  these,  scien- 
tific accuracy  is  a  waste  of  time.  Perhaps  they  are  right. 
At  least,  this  should  serve  as  a  lesson  to  physicians  who  are 
inclined  to  use  complex,  ready-made  formulas  of  this  kind 
and  persuade  them  to  write  individual  prescriptions  whose 
correct  compounding  by  competent  pharmacists  may  be 
depended  on.] — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  17,  1910.) 

W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 
CONTRIBUTION   NO.    3 

Nearly  three  years  ago,  a  contribution  from  the  Chemical 
Laboratory  appeared  in  THE  JOURNAL,  dealing  with  the  com- 
position of  tablets  of  bismuth,  opium  and  phenol  (carbolic 
acid).  It  was  there  shown  that  these  tablets  contained  only 
from  72.65  per  cent,  down  to  as  low  as  12.66  per  cent,  of  the 
amount  of  phenol  stated  on  the  label. 

After  publishing  these  results  in  detail  and  waiting  a  little 
more  than  two  years,  we  again  examined  similar  tablets  of 
the  same  makes,  bought  in  the  open  market.  The  results  of 
this  second  examination  were  published  in  THE  JOURNAL, 
Dec.  17,  1910.  Instead  of  finding  that  conditions  were  better, 
that  the  firms  had  made  an  effort  to  market  tablets  that  were 
true  to  the  label,  this  examination  showed  that  the  phenol- 
content  of  the  tablets  now  ranged  from  63.53  per  cent,  down 
to  12.27  per  cent,  of  the  amount  claimed. 

This  second  examination  also  showed  that  the  manufacturers 
were  not  sufficiently  concerned  with  the  quality  of  their 
product  to  call  in  any  stock  which  they  must  have  known  was 
untruthfully  labeled.  In  view  of  this  fact,  it  was  thought 
worth  while  both  to  learn  the  ages  of  the  various  tablets  that 


LA  no  If  A  TOK  Y     C'O.Y  TRIBVTION8 


151 


were  purchased  at  the  time  of,  and  for  the  purpose  of,  making 
the  second  examination  and  also  to  examine  the  most  recently 
made  tablets  put  out  by  the  same  firms.  Accordingly,  the 
identifying  marks  on  each  package  of  tablets  examined, 
which  formed  the  basis  of  the  report  of  the  second  paper, 
were  sent  to  the  respective  firms  with  inquiries  as  to  the  date 
of  the  manufacture  of  these  various  specimens.  At  the  same 
time  orders  were  placed  in  each  case  for  the  firm's  most 
recently  made  product. 

The  result  of  this  work  is  arranged  in  tabulated  form  as 
follows:  Table  1  gives  the  age  of  the  specimens  that  were 
used  for  the  second  examination.;  Table  2  compares  the  com- 
position of  tablets  as  found  in  the  first  and  second  examina- 
tions with  the  composition  found  in  the  present  (third) 
examination. 

TABLE    1.— AGE    OF    TABLETS    IN    SECOND    EXAMINATION 


DATE  OF           DATE  OF 

AGE  WHEN 

MANUFACTURER 

MANUFACTURE      PURCHASE 

PURCHASED 

Hance  Bros.  &  White.  .  . 
W.  S.  Merrell  Chem.  Co. 

Sept.  17,  1910.  Oct.   27,  '10 
July  11,  1906..  Oct.    27,  '10 

1  month. 
4  years. 

II.  K.  Mulford  Co  

Nov.  22.  1909..  Sept.  15,  '10 

1  year. 

I'arke,  Davis  &  Co  

Sept.,  1910  Sept.  15,  '10 

Under  1  mo. 

Sharp  &  Dohme  

June  1,  1900..  .  Sept.  15,  '10 

4  years. 

F.  Stearns  &  Co  

August,    190G..Oct.    27,  '10 

4  years. 

Truax,  Greene  &  Co.  ... 

Prior  to  1906.  .  Sept.  16,  '10 

4-5  years. 

H.  K.  Wampole  &  Co.  .  . 

Aug.  or  Dec.,'08  Oct.    27,  '10 

2  years. 

W.  It.  Warner  &  Co  

Aug.  3,  1906...  Nov.  11,  '10 

4  years. 

TABLE    2.— COMPOSITION    OF    TABLETS    IN    FIRST.    SECOND 
AND   THIRD    EXAMINATIONS 

PHENOL  FOUND  EXPRESSED  AS  PER  CENT.  OF  AMOUNT  CLAIMED 

SPECIMEN  PURCHASED  SPECIMEN  OBTAINED 
MANUFACTURER  ON  MARKET         FROM  MANUFACTURER 


Hance  Bros.  &  White 

W.  S.  Merrell  Chem.  Co. .  . 

H.  K.  Mulford  Co 

I'arke,  Davis  &  Co 

Sharp  &  Dohme 

F.  Stearns  &  Co 

Truax,  Greene  &  Co 

II.  K.  WTampole  &  Co 

W.  R.  Warner  &  Co.  .  . 


Strange  as  it  may  seem,  some  of  the  manufacturers  wrote 
as  if  they  had  not  known  of  the  former  publication  of  the 
laboratory's  examination. 

Wm.  R.  Warner  &  Co.  writes  that  it  is  going  to  engage 
the  services  of  a  commercial  chemist  to  examine  the  stock 
and  that  it  will  not  offer  the  tablets  for  sale  until  assurance 
is  had  that  the  tablets  are  true  to  claim.  While  it  may  cause 
some  surprise  to  learn  that  this  firm  must  engage  outside 
talent  to  learn  the  quality  of  its  own  wares,  the  decision  to 


1908 

1910 

1910 

21.89 

34.19 

34.49 

48.89 

57.59 

68.43 

52.34 

63.53 

83.18 

(a)  70.23 

(b)47.02 

46.8G 

46.83 

(a)  72.65 

(b)  34.63 

53.39 

38.14 

26.55 

23.17 

24.86 

13.69 

28.09 

28.24 

(a)46.14 

(b)39.31 

53.75 

112.64 

12.66 

12.27 

41.47 

152  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

discontinue  the  sale  of  its  practically  worthless  stock  is  to 
be  commended. 

The  tablets  which  were  obtained  direct  from  H.  K.  Wampole 
&  Co.  and  which  were  found  to  contain  an  amount  of  phenol 
in  excess  of  the  amount  claimed  were  quite  different  in 
appearance  when  received  from  any  previously  examined  in 

»1  BUI    11111    iiins 


NAME  OF  FIRM  S°d|°'"n|    | °~"  a|j    0°"°- 

'     III-   Sill!   «§ll2i 


Hance  Bros.  &  White 

W.  S.  Merrell  Chem.  Co....  A  A  A         A 

H.  K.  Mulford  Co A  Jfe  A        A 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co A  A  A        A 

Sharp  &  Dohme ^^  4^^  4^        ^^ 

F.  Stearns  &  Co A  f\  £~ 

^^^^  \^.  ^/  ^i     ^ 


Truax,  Greene  &  Co ^B 

H.  K.  Wampole  &  Co A        ^         ^        AT 

W.  R.  Warner  &  Co A        ^T>        ^)        & 

The  above  presents  the  findings  of  the  Association  chemists  in 
a  graphic  form  and  shows  the  great  discrepancies  between  the 
claims  made  for  the  tablets  and  the  actual  facts.  The  solid  black 
portions  represent  the  phenol-content.  In  the  first  column  is  given 
the  phenol  content  claimed  by  the  manufacturer ;  in  the  second 
column  is  shown  the  actual  phenol-content  found  in  the  tablets 
purchased  in  1908 ;  the  third  column  represents  the  phenol-content 
as  found  in  the  tablets  purchased  on  the  market  in  1910,  while  the 
fourth  column  shows  the  phenol-content  of  the  tablets  purchased  in 
1910  direct  from  the  manufacturer.  Note  ths  excess  of  phenol  in 
the  tablets  sent  by  H.  K.  Wampole  &  Co.  in  filling  the  order  for  a 
bottle  of  the  most  recently  made  products.  (From  The  Journal 
A..  M.  A.,  May  6,  1911.) 

that  they  were  damp  and  had  a  strong  odor  of  phenol.  About 
two  months  later,  the  tablets  of  this  batch  which  remained  in 
the  bottle  presented  a  most  remarkable  appearance  in  that 
they  were  covered  with  an  efflorescence  of  crystals  of  phenol. 
Should  these  tablets  be  dispensed  on  a  physician's  prescrip- 


LABORATORY     CONTRIBUTIONS  153 

tion  tlic  possibilities  are  that  the  pure  phenol  would  come  in 
direct  contact  with  the  tongue  and  throat  and  produce  painful 
burns.  Of  covirse  these  tablets  are  quite  unfit  for  use. 

Another  important  matter  brought  out  is  the  fact  that 
ready-made  mixtures,  such  as  these  tablets,  may  be  four  or 
five  years  old  before  they  leave  the  hands  of  the  wholesaler. 
While,  in  this  case,  the  efficiency  of  ^he  remedy  is  not  influ- 
enced by  age,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  many  drugs  rapidly 
deteriorate.  If  tablets  such  as  these  are  lokely  to  be  four  or 
five  years  old  before  they  leave  the  wholesale  house,  how  old 
will  they  be  before  they  are  dispensed  on  a  physician's  pre- 
scription? This  question  is  a  pertinent  one  and  the  answer — 
which  the  laboratory's  work  furnishes — should  do  much  to 
discourage  the  prescribing  of  such  ready-made  mixtures. — 
(From  the  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  6.  19.11.) 


UNGUENTINE 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  A.  H.  Clark 

Attention  has  been  called  at  various  times  to  the  fact  that 
the  value  of  a  published  "formula"  to  a  proprietary  remedy 
is  in  direct  ratio  to  the  reliability  of  the  manufacturer  pub- 
lishing it.  When  medical  journals  first  insisted  on  their  ad- 
vertisers' letting  physicians  know  the  contents  of  the  reme- 
dies they  wished  to  sell  them,  medical  literature  reeked  with 
formulas — some  of  them  of  weird  and  wonderful  design. 
Since  the  advent  of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  which  requires 
that  labels  shall  approximate  truthfulness,  and  particularly 
since  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  has  investi- 
gated a  number  of  proprietary  remedies,  the  publication  of 
"formulas"  is  not  so  common. 

Unguentine,  manufactured  by  the  Norwich  Pharmacal  Co., 
is  one  of  those  remedies  whose  advertisement  for  years 
always  included  "a  formula";  more  recently,  however,  this 
is  not  in  evidence.  In  an  advertisement  which  appeared 
about  ten  years  ago,  the  "formula"  given  is: 

"Carbolic  acid    2  per  cent. 

"Ichthyol   5  per  cent. 

"Alum     15  to  16  per  cent." 

It  was  claimed  that  by  a  special  process  of  their  own,  the 
manufacturers  had  eliminated  most  of  the  astringent  proper- 
ties of  the  alum,  rendering  it  non-irritant.  It  was  also 
stated  that  "the  base  of  Unguentine  is  pure  petrolatum." 
Later  the  manufacturers  seem  to  have  changed  the  composi- 
tion of  their  product,  or  at  least  the  "formula"  given  in  the 
advertisements  was  changed.  Thus  it  appeared: 


154  J'HOl'MlAMtA      /'o/.'     REFORM 

"Alum 15  per  cent. 

"Zinc  oxid 5  per  cent. 

"Carbolic  acid    2  per  cent. 

"Ichthyol   5  per  cent. 

"Aromatics  and  antiseptic  oils  with  specially  prepared 
petrolatum  and  animal  fat  base." 

The  introduction  of  zinc  oxid,  aromatic  and  antiseptic  oils 
and  animal  fat  was  a  new  feature.  Somewhat  later,  and  par- 
ticularly since  the  passage  of  the  national  Food  and  Drugs 
Act,  no  formula  or  other  statement  regarding  the  compo- 
sition seems  to  have  appeared  in  the  advertisements  in  the 
medical  press.  In  the  1906  price-list  (p.  170)  the  following 
formula  appears: 

"Unguentine   represents  : 

'Alum    (non-irritating)     15  per  cent. 

'Phenol    2  ner  cent. 

'Ichthyol 5  per  cent. 

'Zinc    oxid    5  per  cent. 

'Aromatic  and  antiseptic  oils,  with  especially  prepared 
petrolatum  and  purified  animal  fat." 

In  the  price-list  issued  for  1908— after  the  Food  and  Drugs 
Act  went  into  effect — the  following  appears: 

"Unguentine  represents : 

•Alum  compcund  (non-irritating) 

'Phenol, 

'Ichthyol, 

'Zinc  oxid, 

'Aromatic  and  antiseptic  oils,  with  especially  prepared 
petrolatum  and  purified  animal  fat." 

Thus  the  proportions  are  omitted,  and  alum  becomes  "alum 
compound,"  whatever  that  may  mean. 

In  view  of  the  conflicting  statements  made  by  the  Norwich 
Pharmacal  Company,  in  regard  to  their  leading  specialty, 
Unguentine,  and  especially  because  much  stress  was  laid  on 
the  filing  of  their  "guarantee"  under  the  Food  and  Drugs 
Act,  it  was  decided  to  ascertain  of  what  Unguentine  really 
consists. 

From  our  analysis  we  conclude  that  Unguentine  contains 
not  alum  but  aluminum  acetate  (small  amounts  of  alum  may 
be  present  as  impurities  in  the  aluminum  acetate),  zinc  oxid, 
or  more  probably  impure  zinc  carbonate,  and  that  the  entire 
quantity  of  both  does  not  exceed  5  per  cent.  It  contains  no 
ichthyol,  or  if  any  but  the  merest  traces,  and  less  than  1  per 
cent,  of  phenol.  The  aromatic  oils  amount  to  not  more  than 
approximately  1  per  cent,  in  all.  The  ointment-base  is,  in 
the  main,  petrolatum. 

In  Unguentine  we  have,  therefore,  another  proprietary 
"specialty,"  regarding  the  composition  of  which  indefinite,  false 
or  misleading  statements  have  been  made — this  irrespective 
of  protestation  of  honesty  by  the  firm. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  March  27,  1909.) 


LAHOliATOHY     ('(>\TI{Hf(J'no.\ti  loo 

URICEDIN 

W.  A.  Puckner  and  A.  H.  Clark 

In  view  of  the  results  of  investigations  by  Zernik  of 
Uricedin  as  sold  in  Germany,  and  because  it  is  being  adver- 
tised to  physicians  in  this  country,  an  examination  of  this 
product  was  made  in  the  laboratory  of  the  American  Medical 
Association.  Zernik's  report  shows  how  this  remedy  has 
varied  in  its  composition  as  put  on  the  market  in  Germany. 
From  their  analysis  the  authors  find  that  Aricedin  is  not  a 
definite  chemical  compound  as  is  claimed,  but  is  a  simple 
mixture  whose  composition  is  approximately: 

Sodium  sulphate  (anhydrous) 61.52  per  cent. 

Sodium    citrate    (anhydrous) 29.62  per  cent. 

Sodium   chlorid    2.13  per  cent. 

Citric  acid    (anhydrous) 3.25  per  cent. 

Moisture    2.53  per  cent. 

Undetermined    0.95  per  cent. 

100.00 

Uricedin,  therefore,  is  not  a  definite  chemical  compound  as 
claimed,  but  a  simple  mixture  which  consists  essentially  of 
sodium  sulphate  (dried  Glauber  salt)  %,  and  sodium 
citrate  %.  It  is,  therefore,  a  typical  nostrum,  and,  as  it 
appears,  one  the  composition  of  which  is  changed  from  time 
to  time  to  suit  the  whim  of  the  manufacturer.  The  thera- 
peutic claims  made  for  it  are  of  the  usual  extravagant  char- 
acter. According  to  a  recent  advertisement  it  is  "used  success- 
fully for  Gouty  Diathesis,  Urinary  Calculi,  Rheumatoid 
Arthritis,"  "useful  in  Migraine,  Occipital  Headache,  Epilepsy, 
Hay  Fever,  Asthma,"  etc.  If  such  a  simple  mixture  -will  do 
all  that  this  one  is  claimed  to  do,  let  us  use  it,  but  prescribe 
its  ingredients  under  their  proper  names.  Such  a  mixture 
would  cost  only  a  few  cents  a  pound,  but  this  nostrum  is 
listed  at  $1.25  a  bottle  of  five  ounces,  or  probably  $1.75  at 
retail,  and  this  for  the  benefit  of  its  foreign  manufacturers 
and  their  agents. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Nov.  23.  1907.) 


URISEPTIN 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

"Uriseptin,"  manufactured  by  the  Gardner-Barada  Chemical 
Co.  of  Chicago  and  claimed  to  be  a  "urinary  antiseptic,  uric 
acid  solvent  and  diuretic,"  was  examined  in  the  laboratory  of 
the  American  Medical  Association  to  determine  to  what  extent 
the  claims  made  for  it  are  justified. 

The  preparation  as  purchased  in  the  open  market  bears  a 
label  which  presents  the  claims  of  the  manufacturers,  empha- 
sized by  the  chemical  analysis  duly  signed  by  an  analyst  and 
attested  by  a  notary.  Accompanying  is  a  reproduction  of  part 
of  the  label. 

Before  the  examination  had  extended  very  far  it  was  found 
that  discrepancies  existed  between  facts  and  claims,  and  by 


156 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


the  time  the  analysis  was  complete  Uriseptin  was  found  to  be 
in  the  same  class  as  many  other  proprietary  remedies  that 
have  been  discussed  in  these  columns. 

Our  examination  shows  that  the  most  misleading  statement 
is  that  concerning  the  "lithium-formaldehyd"  compound  the 
presence  of  which  is  claimed,  more  or  less  directly,  by  both  the 
manufacturers  and  the  analyst  employed  by  the  manufactur- 
ers. Although  the  chemical  properties  of  lithium  and  formal- 
dehyd  indicate  in  themselves  that  the  existence  of  such  a 
compound  would  be  most  improbable,  yet  considerable  time 
was  spent  in  searching  the  chemical  literature  for  such  a 


ANALYSIS 

Samp!,  of  "Uriseptin"  manufactured  by  the 
Gardner-Barada  Chemical  Co..  Chicago.  Ill- 
was  found  to  contain  : 

Specific  Gravity  at  15.5  C  1.0718 
Tout  Solids  J0.4ZP.C. 

mm 

Water  (by  Difference)  TI.Mp.c. 
Total  Ash       l.ttp.c. 
Lithium  Oxide  0.50  p.c. 

LTdTt,1id^d4..i.6.-«ocNoroJl-Skp.i'i: 

FORMULA 

(See  analysis).. 
Each  fluid  ounce  of  Uriseptin  contains  For- 
maldehyde combined  with  Lithium  dissolved 

Couch  Qrass  Extract  Present 
Corn  Silk  Extract  Present 

The  Total  Solids  consist  mainly  of  the  sugars 
and  extract  of  corn  silk  and  couch  grass.    The 

in  concentrated   liquid   extract  of  Corn  Silk 
and  Couch  Grass,  and  will  liberate  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  Formaldehyde   (24  grains)  to  im- 
pregnate the  daily   secretion  of  urine    (45-50 
fluid,ounces)  to  a  1-1000  solution. 

PROPERTIES 

authentic   samples   of   same   products.    The 
Lithium  Oxide  and  the  Formaldehyde  are  in 
combination   in    the  Uriseptin  and  together 
represent  28.77  grains  per  liquid  oz.    !  remain. 
Yours  very  truly. 
(Signed)         DR.  EDWD.  GUDEMAN. 

STATE  or  ILT.IHOIS  1  „ 
COUKTT  or  COOK   ( 
Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  13th 
day  of  May.  1905. 
(Signed)       PAUL  E.  BuEDErKLDT. 

Diuretic. 
INDICATIONS 

Diseases  of  the  urinary  tract  and  their  com- 
plications-Nephritis. Pyelitis.  Urethritis.  Gon- 
orrhea.  Gleet.   Cystitis.  Bacteriuria.  Uremia. 
Phosphaturia,  Prostatitis.      Diseases  depend- 
ent on  uric  acid  diathesis—  Gout.  Rheumatism. 
Calculus.  Asthma  and  generally  as  an  antiscp- 

DOSB 

Tablespoonful  night  and  morning,  or  one  to 
two  teaspoonfuls  four  times  a  day.  preferably 
in  hot  water. 

Reduced  photographic  reproduction  of  part  of  the  Uriseptin  label. 

compound.  Thorough  search,  however,  demonstrated  that  nc 
such  compound,  nor  any  that  even  approximated  it,  has  been 
described. 

The  question  then  arose  as  to  the  form  in  which  the  lithium 
and  the  formaldehyd  are  present.  The  statements  regarding 
its  properties  as  a  urinary  antiseptic  and  the  fact  that  the 
preparation  is  said  to  liberate  formaldehyd  slowly  in  the 
bladder  point  strongly  to  the  presence  of  hexamethylenamin. 

Tests1  were  applied  to  demonstrate  whether  the  formaldehyd 
was  present  as  a  lithium  compound,  and  if  not,  whether 

1.  These  appear  in  the  annual  report  for  1908  of  the  Chemical 
Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Association  ;  they  were  also 
published  in  full  in.  Jour.  Am.  Chem.  Soc.,  September.  1008 ;  an 
outline  of  the  analysis  appeared  in  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  2ft 
1008. 


I.AHDinroltY     CONTRIBUTIONS  157 

it  existed  in  the  form  01  hexamethylenamin.  By  these  the 
presence  of  hexamethylenamin  was  proved  and  the  absence 
of  formaldehyd  in  other  combinations  demonstrated.  Thia 
fact  alone  shows  that  the  preparation  is  deliberately  marketed 
under  a  false  claim,  and  it  shows  further  that  the  analysis  on 
the  label  is  worthless.  The  quantitative  method  of  analysis 
demonstrated  the  presence  of  5.51  gm.  hexamethylenamin 
per  100  c.c.  (25.15  gr.  per  fluidounce). 

Besides  the  hexamethylenamin,  Uriseptin  contains  lithium 
and  a  benzoate.  Concerning  the  latter  nothing  is  said  in  the 
analysis,  whose  worthlessness  is  again  demonstrated.  By 
quantitative  methods  Uriseptin  was  found  to  contain  lithium 
and  a  benzoate  in  such  proportions  as  would  indicate  that  the 
lithium  and  the  benzoate  radicle  exist  as  lithium  benzoate. 
This  fact  is  further  indicated  by  the  claims  made  for  the 
preparation  regarding  its  properties  as  a  uric  acid  solvent,  for 
which  purpose  lithium  benzoate  is  often  used.  Again,  the 
demonstration  that  the  formaldehyd  present  is  in  combination 
as  hexamethylenamin  precluded  any  possible  chemical  com- 
bination between  lithium  and  formaldehyd  and  adds  another 
strong  point  in  support  of  the  conclusion  that  the  lithium  and 
benzoic  acid  are  in  combination  as  lithium  benzoate. 

CONCLUSION 

By  chemical  analysis  the  active  ingredients  of  Uriseptin  are 
shown  to  be  hexamethylenamin,  approximately  5.5  gm.  per  100 
c.c.  (about  25  gr.  to  each  fluid  ounce),  and  lithium  benzoate, 
approximately  0.70  gm.  per  100  c.c.  (about  11  gr.  to  each  fluid 
ounce),  neither  of  which  compounds  is  mentioned  in  the  adver- 
tising matter  on  the  label  or  in  the  so-called  "analysis"  on  the 
label.  The  statements  concerning  the  composition  of  Uri- 
septin are  false  and  appear  to  be  a  deliberate  attempt  to 
mislead  physicians. 

COMMENT. — Investigation  of  the  various  "patent"  and  so- 
called  "ethical  proprietaries"  advertised  to  the  public  and  to 
the  medical  profession  shows  that  those  that  have  any  value 
as  therapeutic  agents  depend  for  that  value  on  some  well- 
known  drug  or  drugs.  Hence,  while  many  proprietaries  have 
some  virtue,  the  ingredients  which  are  of  any  value  are  so 
concealed  by  the  coined  and  "near-scientific"  names  applied  to 
them  that  these  drugs  are  usually  unrecognizable.  The  many 
and  various  acetanilid  mixtures  furnish  examples  of  this  class 
of  proprietaries.  And  now  we  find  another  example  in  that 
much  advertised  nostrum,  Uriseptin. 

According  to  our  chemists,  the  chief  ingredients  of  Uriseptin 
are  hexamethylenamin  and  lithium  benzoate.  Hexamethyl- 
enamin is  a  valuable  so-called  urinary  antiseptic — probably 
one  of  the  best  we  have.  It  is  a  pity  that  more  physicians 
do  not  know  the  value  of  this  drug  in  and  of  itself;  it  is  a 
common  ingredient  of  many  proprietaries,  and  yet  too  seldom 


158  PROPAGANDA     FOR     KKF1HIM 

prescribed  under  its  true  name.  There  is  no  reason  for  its 
being  given  in  the  form  of  a  nostrum;  it  requires  no  skill  in 
compounding,  for  it  is  best  given  in  its  powdered  form,  either 
in  capsules  or  otherwise.  So  that,  like  acetanilid,  the  old 
argument  of  the  nostrum  men  that  the  preparation  needs  skill 
in  compounding  will  not  hold.  If  a  physician  wants  to  prescribe 
hexamethylenamin  let  him  prescribe  it  in  its  simplest  and  best 
form,  and  thus  know  exactly  what  he  is  giving. 

Lithium  benzoate  also  has  its  rightful  place  in  the  materia 
medica,  but  not  hidden  in  a  proprietary  mixture  to  be  pre- 
scribed unknowingly.  It  is  hard  to  conceive  of  any  one  thing 
that  operates  more  disastrously  against  scientific  therapeutics 
than  the  vicious  practice  of  marketing  under  proprietary 
names  standard  and  valuable  drugs,  with  their  identity  pur- 
posely concealed.  Yet  how  frequently  it  is  done.  Well-known 
drugs  of  unquestioned  worth  are  combined  with  those  that 
are  little  known  and  of  doubtful  value,  or  more  likely  abso- 
lutely worthless,  the  mixture  is  put  on  the  market  under  a 
high-sounding  name  and  it  is  exploited  through  physicians 
as  a  panacea  for  all  kinds  of  diseases. 

In  this,  as  in  so  many  other  instances,  an  "analysis"  made 
to  order  is  given  to  lend  an  air  of  apparent  respectability  and 
scientific  standing  to  the  preparation  or  to  its  exploiters,  with 
the  object,  of  course,  of  misleading  physicians  into  thinking 
they  are  reading  unbiased  testimony.  In  addition,  the  "litera- 
ture" accompanying  the  preparation  is  usually  a  jargon  of 
pseudo-scientific  verbiage  put  in  to  serve  the  same  purpose 
as  the  analysis— that  of  catching  the  careless  physician. 

This  state  of  affairs  will  continue  just  so  long  as  the 
medical  profession  will  tolerate  it — and  no  longer.  So  long  as 
members  of  our  profession  will  prescribe  proprietaries  on  the 
statements  of  their  owners — as  to  both  their  composition  an;J 
their  therapeutic  value — just  so  long  will  pseudochemical  and 
pseudopharmaceutical  companies  fatten  at  the  expense  of  the 
medical  profession  and  to  the  detriment  of  the  public  health. 
(From  the  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  29,  1908.) 


ZEMACOL 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

Attention  has  been  called  to  the  vague  and  mysterious 
statements  regarding  a  preparation  called  Zemacol,  manufac- 
tured by  the  Norwich  Pharmacal  Co.,  Norwich,  N.  Y.  Because 
of  the  unsatisfactory  statements  regarding  the  composition  of 
the  preparation,  it  was  considered  of  sufficient  interest  to 
make  an  analysis'  and  determine  its  chemical  constituents. 
Accordingly  specimens  of  the  preparation  were  obtained  and 
examined. 

The  preparation  Zemacol  (Norwich  Pharmacal  Co.),  as 
found  on  the  market,  is  a  thick,  pink,  mucilaginous  liquid, 


L.lHOItM'OltY     CONTRIBUTIONS  159 

highly  perfumed  and  having  besides  a  suggestion  of  a  phenolic 
odor.     The  bottle  bears  a  label  on  which  appear  the  following 

statements : 

"A  colloidal  emollient  containing  extract  of  the  rete  mucosum  of 
the  healthy  yearling  lamb,  combined  with  glycerin,  salicylic  acid 
and  other  antiseptic  and  aromatic  oils.  Useful  in  eczema  and 
diseases  of  the  integument  where  cell  destruction  is  a  prominent 
factor." 

In  the  advertising  matter  the  following  claims  are  made: 

"An  advance  in  animal  therapy.     .     .     ." 

"...  increases  the  nutritive  activity  of  the  cell  tissue  of 
the  skin  through  the  absorbable  extract  of  the  rete  mucosum." 

"...  clinical  tests  show  its  efficacy  in  both  the  so-called 
inoist  and  dry  eczematous  conditions  of  all  parts  of  the  cutaneous 
surfaces." 

"...     rich  in  animal  cells." 

Since  nothing  could  be  found  in  the  literature  regarding  the 
therapeutic  action  of  an  extract  of  the  rete  mucosum  of  the 
sheep,  it  was  thought  possible  that  the  statements  on  the 
label  were  given  simply  as  a  vague  and  mysterious  means  of 
indicating  the  presence  of  wool-fat  (lanolin),  and  tests  were 
made  to  determine  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  latter  sub- 
stance. A  substance  was  isolated  from  Zemacol  which  had  the 
physical  properties  of,  and  responded  to  some  of  the  chemical 
tests  for,  wool-fat;  but  it  was  found  in  such  small  quantities 
as  to  indicate  that  it  was  not  present  as  an  active  constituent. 
Since  there  are  no  definite  tests  for  the  detection  of  serums  or 
animal  extracts  the  presence  or  absence  of  these  could  not  be 
demonstrated.  Further  examination  indicated  the  presence  of 
salicylic  acid,  a  gummy  material,  having  the  properties  of 
tragacanth  and  glycerin.  It  is  practically  free  from  inorganic 
matter.  By  distillation  a  small  quantity  of  oil  was  isolated, 
which  possesses  the  characteristic  odor  of  the  preparation. 

Quantitative  estimations1  indicated  the  presence  of  the 
above-mentioned  constituents  in  approximately  the  following 
quantities : 

Per  Cent. 
Gummy    matter   having   the    properties    of   tragacanth..     2.02 

Salicylic    acid    0.67 

Matter  having  the  general  properties  of  wool-fat  (lanolin) .      0.20 

Glycerin    5.50 

Volatile  matter   (water  and  alcohol) 91.00 

Aromatic    oils    and    phenol-like    bodies Trace 

The  results  of  the  above  analysis,  together  with  advertising 
matter  regarding  Zemacol,  were  submitted  to  Dr.  William 
Allen  Pusey,  professor  of  dermatology  and  clinical  dermatol- 
ogy, College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Chicago,  and  past 
chairman  of  the  Section  on  Dermatology  of  the  American 
Medical  Association,  with  the  inquiry  whether  or  not  there 
was  any  record  of  investigations  regarding  the  therapeutic 
value  of  an  extract  of  the  rete  mucosum  of  the  sheep  and 

1.  Details  of  this  analysis  appear  in  the  annual  report  for 
1910  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. 


1GO  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

whether  in  his  opinion  the  claims  made  for  Zemacol  would  be 
warranted.     The  following  reply  was  received: 

"So  far  as  I  know,  nobody  ever  thought  of  or  proposed  the 
use  of  an  extract  of  rete  mucosum  as  a  therapeutic  agent  and 
if  a  serious  suggestion  of  that  sort  had  ever  been  made  I 
believe  I  would  know  it.  I  can  conceive  of  no  service  which 
such  an  extract  could  render  and  I  think  the  suggestion  of  it 
is  a  highly  fantastic  idea.  From  the  analysis  which  you  fur- 
nish I  should  say  that  the  mixture  described  is  substantially 
the  ordinary  2  per  cent,  solution  of  tragacanth  in  glycerin  and 
water  with  a  little  antiseptic  added  to  keep  it  from  decom- 
posing. That  is  a  commonly  known  lotion,  modifications  of 
which  are  used  in  practically  every  hospital  as  a  hand  lotion, 
and  has  no  magical  virtues  whatever.  Incidentally,  I  should 
think  it  cost,  aside  from  the  labor,  about  twentv  cents  a  gallon 
to  make  it."—  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  Uh  1910.) 


ZYMEOID 
W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

Zyme-oid,  manufactured  by  the  Oxychlorine  Chemical  Com- 
pany of  Chicago,  is  advertised  as  "a  powerful  gastro-intestinal 
antiferment"  which  will  "arrest  and  prevent  bacterial  fer- 
mentation in  any  portion  of  the  intestinal  tract,  whether  the 
media  be  acid  or  alkaline."  These  extravagant  statements, 
like  many  others  made  regarding  the  properties  of  zyme-oid, 
are  very  similar  in  character  to  those  made  in  the  circulars 
accompanying  the  preparation  oxychlorine,  manufactured  by 
the  same  firm  and  exposed  in  THE  JOURNAL,  July  6,  1907, 
page  54.  (See  page  82  of  this  book.) 

As  examples,  several  parallel  statements  help  to  show  this 
similarity.  The  formula  (?)  of  oxychlorine,  as  expounded  on 
the  label,  is  given  in  full,  while  in  the  case  of  zyme-oid  only  a 
hint  is  given  as  to  its  composition,  but  still  sufficient  to  point 
to  a  similarity  between  the  two: 

OXYCHLORINE  ZYME-OID 

"Oxychlorine   is   a   tetrabor-  "Zyme-oid   is  a   double  bor- 

ate  of  sodium   and  potassium       ate  salt." 
combined    with    oxychlorid    of 
boron,       thus :        (6NaKB«O,) 
BOCV 

In  the  matter  of  claims  for  chemical  stability  the  two  seem 
to  be  very  closely  allied: 

Oxychlorine     is     "a     stable  Zyme-oid      Is      "a      product 

salt  under  all  conditions  until        which    is    stable    enough    for 

brought   in  contact   with   sub-       keeping    purposes,    but    which 

oxygenated  organic  matter."  readily  yields  nascent   oxygen 

in    the    presence    of    bacterial 

products." 

The  therapeutic  properties  attributed  to  these  sister  prod- 
ucts are  even  more  similar,  for  we  find  that: 

"Oxychlorine   is   adapted   to  "Zyme-oid     is     a     powerful 

all   morbid  and  abnormal  fer-       gastrointestinal     antiferment." 
inentative    alimentary    states." 


LABORATORY     <'<> A  771'//,T770.V,S  101 

Many  more  statements  and  claims  could  be  quoted  to  show 
a  similarity  between,  amounting  almost  to  an  identity  of, 
oxychlorinc  and  zyme-oid. 

With  these  facts  in  mind,  the  analysis  of  zyme-oid  was 
undertaken  in  order  to  compare  it  with  the  previously  exam- 
ined oxychlorine  and  to  determine  to  what  extent  the  claims 
made  for  zyme-oid  are  upheld  by  its  composition.  The  anal- 
ysis indicated,  as  was  expected,  that  zyme-oid  is  essentially 
the  same  as  oxychlorine  as  is  shown  in  the  following,  quoted 
from  the  report  of  the  analysis  of  each: 

ANALYSIS   OF  OXYCIILORINE  ANALYSIS     OP     ZYMK-OID 

Potassium    (K)    12.26  Potassium   (K)    .                1.°,  50 

Sodium    (Na)     8.20        Sodium   (Nay f)'s4 

Chlorate    (C1O3)    25.32        Chlorate    (C1O3)     27.50 

Nitrate   (NO3)    21.70       Nitrate    (NOS)    24.22 

Boric        acid        auhydrid  Boric        acid        anhydrid" 

(B203)     18.63  (B2US)     13.42 

Water,  calculated    13.29        Water,  calculated    10.42 

Assuming  that  the  chlorate  in  zyme-oid  is  present  as 
potassium  chlorate  and  the  nitrate  is  present  as  sodium 
nitrate,  the  figures  obtained  by  analysis  correspond  to  a  mix- 
ture approximately  as  follows: 

Potassium  chlorate   (KC1O3)    40.43 

Sodium   Nitrate   (NaNOs) 33.22 

Potassium  tctraborate   (K>B«O7)    1.60 

Sodium    tetraborate    (Na2B«O7)         .      .      ...  3.31 

Boric  acid    21.14 

From  the  results  of  the  analysis  and  from  the  physical 
properties  of  zyme-oid  we  conclude,  just  as  was  done  iu  the 
case  of  oxychlorine,  that  the  preparation  is  not  a  definite 
chemical  compound,  but  is  essentially  a  mixture  of  alkali 
chlorate  and  nitrate  with  boric  acid,  probably  produced  by 
fusing  together  the  constituents. 

COMMENT 

An  examination  of  the  claims  made  for  the  firm's  two  prod- 
ucts, while,  as  already  proved,  disclosing  many  points  of 
similarity,  will  also  show  one  remarkable  difference.  We  refer 
to  the  skilful  indefinitenSss  that  pervades  the  claims  made 
for  zyme-oid  and  which  defies  scientific  refutation.  This 
verbal  obscurity  is  becoming  daily  more  common  in  the 
"literature"  of  firms  marketing  nostrums.  Since  the  Council 
has  analyzed  many  of  the  much-advertised  articles  and  proved 
the  unreliability  of  the  pseudo-scientific  claims  made  for  them, 
the  more  cautious  of  the  nostrum -mongers  have  modified  the 
matter  descriptive  of  their  products.  They  have  called  to 
their  aid  the  principle  that  words  were  given  to  man  to  conceal 
thought  rather  than  to  express  it,  and  they  have  reduced 
equivocation  to  a  fine  art.  Wherever  it  was  possible  to  put 
forward  claims  by  implication  rather  than  by  expression  this 
has  boon  done. 


102  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

To  substantiate  further  the  claims  made  by  the  manufac- 
turers of  zymc-oid  for  their  product,  a  laboratory  report  is 
brought  in  evidence.  This  report,  which  is  written  more  in 
the  style  of  a  peruna  testimonial  than  that  of  a  conservative 
scientific  statement,  fails  to  verify  the  aiaim  that  zyme-oid  is 
a  "double  borate  salt,"  but  confines  itself  to  a  statement  of  its 
harmlessness  and  its  anti-fermentative  properties.  In  pass- 
ing, it  seems  regrettable  that  scientific  laboratories  should,  for 
a  pecuniary  consideration,  be  willing  to  jeopardize  their  repu- 
tations by  lending  their  names  to  the  furtherance  of  nostrum 
exploitation.  The  results  of  the  examination  of  zyme-oid 
demonstrate  that  the  product  is  no  more  worthy  of  the  physi 
cian's  consideration  than  its  close,  and  equally  worthless,  rela 
live,  oxychlorine. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A..  May  23,  1908.) 


PART  m 

MISCELLANEOUS   NOSTRUMS 


ALLEOTONE 

The  formula  of  this  preparation,  given  in  the  literature, 
reads  as  follows: 

AlcoholicI   (Monatomic)    gr.   1/1000 

Quininae   Sulphatis    gr.  1/384 

Ac.  Sulph.  Dil.    (10  per  cent.) gtt.  2% 

Ac.  Nitrici  Dil.    (10  per  cent.) gtt.  1/77 

Ac.   Butanol-Dioic    gr.  1/3 

Tr.  Ferri  Chloridi   gtt.  1/26 

Aquae    gtt.  xx 

The  formula  is  worthless.  It  can  only  mislead  and  mystify 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  literature  is  a  mere  jumble  of 
inaccurate  and  mystifying  statements.  The  various  constitu- 
ents of  the  preparation  are  taken  up  as  follows.  The  adver- 
tising literature  states: 

".Monatomic  Alcohol  is  one  of  the  constituents  of  all  nerve  tissue  : 
It  is  a  product  of  the  replacement  of  one  atom  of  hydrogen  of  the 
hydrocarbons  by  their  hydroxyl  group  II. O." 

This  information  does  not  inform,  since  there  is  a  vast  num- 
ber of  monatomic  alcohols  and  of  every  description.  The  asser- 
tion that  the  preparation  "contains  a  salt"  would  be  perfectly 
analogous  and  just  as  enlightening.  Of  "Ferri  Chlo"  the  lit- 
erature says: 

"Ferri  Chlo  is  found  with  all  proteids  and  nucleins  and  herein 
acts  as  magnetic  iron,  aiding  the  play  of  the  electrical  travel." 

The  first  assertion  is  untrue,  for  iron  does  not  exist  as 
chlorid  in  the  cells  of  the  body,  but  as  some  organic  iron  com- 
pound; neither  is  it  found  in  all  proteids,  but  principally  in 
nucleoalbumins;  and  not  all  proteids  contain  nucleoalbu- 
mins.  The  assertion  that  the  iron  chlorid  "acts  as  magnetic 
iron  aidin-g  the  play  of  the  electric  travel"  is  nonsensical 
and  on  a  par  with  the  electrical  belt  method  of  exploitation, 
and  suggests  forcibly  the  class  to  which  Alleotone  belongs. 
The  literature  further  states: 

"Sulphuric  and  nitric  acids  act  in  removing  hydrogen  atoms  and 
substitute  atoms  of  the  radical  NO2 ;  that  is,  as  hydrogen  tran- 
quilizes  the  speed  of  burning  or  oxidation,  its  action  is  substituted 
by  the  atom  nitrogen  which  is  energy  itself,  nitrogen  being  the  base 
of  all  explosives." 

Sulphuric  acid  is  certainly  an  oxidizing  agent  and  in 
virtue  therof  removes  hydrogen;  but  not  in  a  solution 
whose  concentration  with  respect  to  sulphuric  acid  is  approxi- 


Ki4 

matt-ly  only  n.s-J  per  cent.  The  -(;itciiicnt  tliiil  nil  m^cn 
is  the  "base  of  all  explosives"  is  another  example  of  the 
methods  of  the  promoters.  As  it  is  a  well-known  fact,  how- 
ever, that  nitrogen  itself  is  one  of  the  least  reactive  of  gaseous 
elements,  little  confidence  can  be  placed  in  such  remarks  as 
"Nitrogen  which  is  energy  itself."  Another  mystifying  term 
used  in  the  formula  is  "Ac.  Butanol-Dioic,"  which  is  a  true 
chemical  name,  certainly,  but  it  is  .one  by  which  few  physi- 
cians will  recognize  simple  malic  acid,  an  ordinary  vegetable 
acid  widely  distributed  in  ripe  fruits,  such  as  apples  and 
pears,  and  possessing  the  properties  simply  of  a  relatively 
weak  organic  acid.  To  describe  it  as  exercising  any  potent 
influence  "in  the  oxidation  of  the  phosphorus  as  lecithin  in 
the  cell" — especialh'  in  the  extremely  low  concentration  in 
which  it  is  stated  to  exist  in  Alleotone — is  simply  an  absurd 
juggling  with  words.  It  is  not  much  to  be  wondered  at  that 
the  public  should  be  taken  in  by  pseudoscientific  "literature;" 
but  it  is  not  only  strange,  it  is  discreditable  to  our  profession, 
that  among  its  members  should  be  found  any  to  accept  such 
rubbish  as  the  above  quoted  "literature"  as  information  worth 
acting  on — yet  such  there  are,  judging  from  the  testimonials. 
—  (Abstracted  /'row  Ihe  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  1,  1008.) 

Tns  Commercial  Value  of  Adverse  Criticism 
For  skilful  attempts  to  convert  a  "knock"  into  a  "boost," 
oommend  to  us  the  discredited  nostrum  exploiter.  The  fed- 
eral Food  and  Drugs  Act  did  much  to  bring  out  this  amiable 
quality— possibly  developed  it.  While  somewhat  ancient  his- 
tory, it  is  well  to  call  to  mind  what  happened  when  the  excise 
authorities  insisted  either  that  the  "patent  medicine"  booze, 
Peruna,  have  some  medicine  put  in  it,  or  else  that  its  manu- 
facturers should  go  into  the  saloon  business.  Hartman  at 
once  got  out  a  new  label  stating  that  "for  a  number  of  years 
a  multitude  of  grateful  friends"  had  urged  "that  Peruna  be 
given  a  slight  laxative  quality."  Thenceforth  the  innocents 
and  near-innocents  could  get  their  perunaese  jag  only  at  the 
risk  of  a  "bad  quarter  of  an  hour." 

One  of  the  latest  attempts  to  wriggle  out  of  an  uncomfort- 
able position,  and  at  the  same  time  make  capital  out  of  the 
wriggling,  is  seen  in  the  advertising  of  Alleotone,  a  nostrum 
of  the  pseudoscientific  type,  which  was  shown  up  in  TUK 
JOUBNAL  of  Feb.  1,  1908.  The  "formula"  furnished  is  for 
the  most  part  a  jargon  of  misleading  and  mystifying  non- 
sense and  fulfils  the  same  purpose  as  the  voluble  "patter"  of 
the  gentleman  who  is  manipulating  three  shells  and  a  pea  at 
the  county  fair. 

Every  constituent  of  the  "formula"  was  discussed  in  THE 
JOURNAL  and  the  absurdities  and  impossibilities  of  each  dwelt 
on.  Did  the  manufacturers  of  Alleotone  feel  downcast  over 
the  exposure  of  their  humbug?  Not  to  judge  by  their  adver- 
tising, for  they  write  to  physicians  that  "since  the  A.  M.  A. 


analyzed  Alleotone  it  lias  made  great  strides" — direction  not 
specified.  But  the  choicest  piece  of  impudence,  and  one  that 
but  for  its  dishonesty  would  be  laughable,  is  found  in  this 
portion  of  their  advertising  pamphlet: 


FORMULA   OF   ALLEOTONE 

na[  of  the_ 
rom      tfosis—  aterative."  *~" 


Americao  Medical  Association^  Feb.  j^  J9O_ 
AlcohoIicr'fMona.tomlc  )   'gr.  i/i 


(Cholesterin^ 

Quiniae  Sulphatis 
Ac.  Sulph.  Dil.  (10%) 
Ac.  Nitrici  Dil.  (10%) 
(Malic  Acid.)Ac-  Butanol-dioic 
~  Tr.  Ferri  Chloridi 
.  Aquae 

one  of  the  constituents  | 


In  the  original,  the  words  "With  amendments  suggested  in 
the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  Feb.  1, 
1908,"  and  also  "  (Cholesterin.)"  and  "(Malic  Acid.),"  which 
we  have  underscored  in  the  illustration,  are  printed  in  red  and 
have  been  added  to  the  original  "formula."  Such  are  the  uses 
of  adversity. 

What  claim,  if  any,  the  exploiter  of  this  nostrum — B.  F. 
Copeland — has  to  medical  or  pharmaceutical  knowledge,  we  do 
not  know.  In  fact,  to  be  consistent  with  the  "ethics"  of  the 
nostrum  business  he  need  have  none.  Such  knowledge,  indeed, 
tends  to  hamper  that  free  play  of  the  imagination  so  neces- 
sary in  this  work.  We  understand  that  he  has  at  different 
times  been  in  charge  of  a  stave  factory  and  connected,  with  a 
brokerage  firm,  which  may  exert  some  subtle  influence  in 
developing  the  ability  to  relieve  suffering  humanity,  though 
the  connection  is  not  quite  clear.  One  would  imagine,  how- 
ever, that  the  keen  business  instinct,  untrammeled  by  any 
considerations  of  conscience,  which  is  exhibited  in  the  exploita- 
tion of  Alleotone,  would  in  purely  commercial  pursuits  have 
long  since  assured  a  competence. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Oct.  11,  1908.) 


BAUME    ANALGESIQUE     BENGUE 

A  physician  writes  asking  for  llic  formula  'of  linnine 
Anal.uesique  'I'cn^ue.  This  product  is  another  of  the  "patent 
mc<licine"-"ethical-proprietarv"  type  of  nostrums.  In  (Ireat 


100  PROPAGANDA     FOIt     It  KM)  KM 

Britain,  it  is  advertised  to  the  public  as  "A  Wonderful  Remedy 
for  Rheumatism,  Gout,  Neuralgia."  In  this  country,  the 
exploiters  find  that  space  in  cheap  medical  journals,  reinforced 
by  the  aid  of  undiscriminating  physicians,  is  a  cheaper  method 
of  getting  the  stuff  to  the  public.  According  to  the  state- 
ments of  the  manufacturers,  Bengu6's  Analgesic  Balm  con- 
tains "menthol,  salicylate  of  methyl  and  lanolin."  When 
analyzed  by  the  chemists  of  the  British  Medical  Association, 
it  was  reported  to  have  the  following  composition: 

Menthol    18  per  cent. 

Methyl  salicylate 20  per  cent. 

Lanolin,  anhydrous   54  per  cent. 

A  fat,  apparently  lard 8  per  cent. 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  ingredients  of  a  50-cent  tube  of 
Bengue's  Analgesic  Balm,  according  to  the  British  chemists, 
is  2%  cents.  Evidently  this  imposingly  named  product  is 
practically  a  lanolin  ointment  containing  oil  of  wintergreen 
and  menthol.  Similar  products  are  catalogued  by  various 
pharmaceutical  houses  under  various  names  and  with  vary- 
ing degrees  of  frankness  concerning  their  composition.  Two 
firms  give  the  medical  profession  full  details  regarding  the 
composition  of  their  products:  The  H.  K.  Mulford  Company 
who  sell  it  under  the  name  "Methyl  Salicylate  Ointment,"  and 
the  Pitman-Myers  Co.  who  name  their  product  "Anodyne 
Balm,  P-M  Co."  Some  other  firms  are  not  so  frank.  Parke. 
Davis  &  Co.,  for  instance,  sell  "a  combination  of  methyl 
salicylate  and  menthol  with  a  lanolin  base"  under  the  name 
"Analgesic  Balm,"  but  do  not  give  the  quantities  of  the 
ingredients;  Frederick  Stearns  &  Co.  sell  "Analgesic  Cream, 
Stearns"  without  giving  the  quantities;  Nelson  Baker  &  Co. 
sell  "Anti-Neuralgic  Ointment,"  and  no  quantities  are  given. 
—.(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  11,,  1912.) 


ANTIDIABETICUM— BAUER 

In  Germany  the  makers  of  nostrums,  their  methods  and 
their  products  are  systematically  exposed  by  the  Society  for 
the  Suppression  of  Quackery  (Deutsche  Gesellschaft  zur 
Bekiimpfung  des  Kurpfuschertums)  through  its  publication, 
the  Gesundheitslchrer,  under  the  aggressive  editorship  of  Dr. 
Kantor. 

Ludwig  Bauer,1  the  manufacturer  of  "Antidiabeticum," 
inserted  advertisements  in  daily  papers  asserting  that  for  his 
"humanitarian  efforts"  the  society  "Opera  Educativa  pacifica" 
in  Rome  had  granted  him  a  diploma  and  placed  his  publica- 
tions in  the  celebrated  "Bibliotheca  Marciazzi."  Dr.  Kantor. 

1.  According  to  a  report  in  the  Allyemcine  mc.<Hzininclie  Ccntrnl- 
Zettitng,  Jan.  fl,  1912,  p.  14. 


MISCELLANEOUS     \O8TKUM8  167 

editor  of  the  Gesundheltslehrer,  declared  that,  according  to 
information  received  from  the  German  Consulate  in  Rome, 
no  such  society  existed  there,  and  the  library  referred  to 
probably  was  the  Bibliotheca  Marciana  in  Florence,  which, 
like  other  public  libraries,  accepts  all  donations  without  criti- 
cal examination.  To  offset  these  exposures,  the  promoter  of 
Antidiabeticum  published  advertisements  libeling  Dr.  Kantor 
and  attacking  the  Society  for  Suppression  of  Quackery.  This 
resulted  in  suits  and  counter-suits  for  libel  between  Dr. 
Kantor  and  the  directors  of  the  antiquackery  society  on  the 
one  side  and  the  promoter  of  Antidiabeticum  on  the  other. 
As  a  rqpult  of  the  recent  combined  trial,  the  court  declared 
that  Dr.  Kantor's  charges  had  been"  substantiated  and  tin: 
manufacturer  of  Antidiabeticum  was  fined  600  marks  or  forty 
days'  imprisonment,  while  apparently  on  purely  technical 
grounds  Dr.  Kantor  was  fined  50  marks  or  five  days'  imprison- 
ment. The  costs  were  divided  between  Bauer  and  Dr.  Kantor 
in  the  proportion  of  11  to  1.  As  Bauer  in  the  course  of  the 
trial  made  further  libelous  charges,  Dr.  Kantor  has  lately 
started  new  proceedings  against  Bauer.  The  incessant  per- 
secution of  Dr.  Kantor  was  described  in  an  editorial  in  THE 
JOI-KXAL,  May  20,  1911,  p.  1486. 

The  persecution  of  Dr.  Karntor  previously  described  shows 
no  signs  of  abatement  nor  has  Dr.  Kantor  given  evidence  ot 
loss  of  courage.  Seme  of  t!;e  Herman  medical  societies  have 
subscribed  for  the  Gestrndheitslehrer  for  each  of  their  mem- 
bers. It  is  written  in  popular  style  for  the  masses  and  i? 
a  sharp  and  effective  weapon  for  the  campaign  against 
quackery.—  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  21,  1912.} 


ANTIKAMNIA 

The  Nostrum  and  Its  Method  of  Exploitation 
Our  readers  will  be  interested  to  learn  some  of  the  remark- 
able   properties    which,   according    to    the    statements    of    the 
manufacturers,   this    Antikamnia    possesses.      We   quote    from 
the  advertising  literature: 

The  well-known  nerve  specialist  (1),  Dr.  Harley,  in  an  interview 
published  in  the  London  Daily  Express,  says :  "I  have  treated 
more  than  one  American  for  nervousness  and  'brain  fag'  directly  due 
to  their  incessant  energy.  I  had  a  young  man  in  nere  this 
morning  who  complained  of  headache  'in  the  back  of  the  neck.'  He 
was  threatened  with  congestion  of  the  brain,  and  seemed  somewhat 
aggrieved  when  I  told  him  he  had  been  trying  to  do  too  much.  I 
also  treated  a  young  American  woman  who,  since  her  arrival  in 
Ijondon,  had  apparently  boon  living  on  Antikamnin  tablets  by  the 
advice  of  her  physician.  It  was  the  only  thing,  she  said,  which 
kept  her  'braced  up'  for  the  strain  of  sight-seeing." 

(Why  did   the  young  woman   consult  this  Dr.  Harley— for 
the  drug  habit?)  " 
Note  the  following: 


HiH  /'/.'O/'.UM.\/>.I      rol!     REFORM 

For  the  severe  pains  or  rheumatism,  dysmenorrhea,  neuralgia,  gout, 
sciatica  and  lumbago,  as  well  as  for  the  lightning  pains  of  locomotor 
ataxia.  there  can  be  no  quicker  and  more  lasting  relief  obtained 
than  by  the  administration  of  Antikamnia  and  codeine  tablets. 

Imagine  an  intelligent  physician  trying  to  treat  the  diseases 
mentioned  below  with  the  various  impotent  means  of  the 
pharmacopeia  and  physiological  therapy  when  he  might  depend 
on  Antikamnia!  We  quote  again: 

As  a  Pain  Reliever. — In  headache,  cephalalgia,  hemicrania. 
migraine  [some  other  words  might  have  been  thrown  in  so  as  still 
more  to  emphasize  the  headache  business!,  myalgia,  coryza,  la 
grippe  and  its  sequala;,  the  lightning  pains  of  locomotor  ataxia  and 
all  pains  due  to  irregular  menstruation. 

As  an  Anodyne  or  Sedative. — In  alcoholic  delirium,  indigestion, 
cardialgia,  gastralgia,  dyspepsia,  hysteria,  insomnia,  inebriety,  car- 
sickness,  sea-sickness,  worry  and  sight-seer's  fatigue. 

As  an  Antipyretic. — In  typhoid,  intermittent,  puerperal  and 
malarial  fevers,  bronchitis,  pneumonia,  pleurisy,  and  tuberculosis. 

As  an  Anti-Neuralgic. — In  acute  or  chronic  neuralgia,  facial 
neuralgia,  earache,  pain  about  the  teeth,  angina  pectoris,  neuras- 
thenia, palpitation,  pains  of  locomotor  ataxia  and  sciatica.. 

As  an  Anti-Rheumatic. — In  acute  or  chronic  rheumatism  and 
gout,  fever  and  pleurodynia. 

There  is  no  remedy  so  useful  and  attended  with  such  satisfactory 
results  as  Antikaminn  tablets  in  the  treatment  of  melancholia  with 
vasomotor  disturbances,  anemic  headaches,  emotional  distress,  and 
active  delusions  of  apprehension  and  distrust.  They  increase  arterial 
tension  and  promote  digestion,  as  well  as  being  particularly  serv- 
iceable in  relieving  the  persistent  headache  which  accompanies 
nervousness. 

In  neurasthenia,  in  mild  hysteroid  affections,  and  in  the  various 
neuralgias,  particularly  ovarian,  and  in  the  nervous  tremor  so  often 
seen  in  confirmed  drunkards,  they  are  of  peculiar  service.  In 
angina  pectoris  this  drug  has  a  beneficial  action  ;  it  relieves  the  pain 
and  distress  in  many  cases,  even  when  amyl  nitrite  and  nitro- 
glycerin  have  failed  entirely.  In  pseudo-angina,  frequently  observed 
in  hysterical  women,  its  action  is  all  that  can  be  desired. 

Patients  who  suffer  from  irritable,  weak,  or  palpitating  heart, 
needing  at  times  a  pain  reliever,  can  take  Antikamnia  tablets, 
without  untoward  after-effects,  knowing  that  the  heart  is  being 
fortified.  In  delirium  tremens,  they  relieve  when  there  are  great 
restlessness,  insomnia,  the  general  lowering  of  the  nerve  power. 

Only  the  vivid  picture  of  a  crisis  in  locomotor  ataxia  or  the 
agony  of  a  true  migraine,  can  impress  the  observer  with  the  full 
value  of  this  pain  reliever. 

The   following   testimonials   are   from   physicians: 
Dr.  Caleb  Lyon,  an   old  Bellevue  practitioner,  in  referring 
to  antikamnia  and  coclein  tablets,  says : 

In  my  practice  they  accompany  the  maid  from  her  virgin  couch 
to  her  lying-in  chamber,  assuaging  the  perplexities  of  maidenhood 
and  easing  the  trials  of  maternity  with  most  gratifying  results.  I 
earnestly  hope  that  the  proprietors  of  this  valuable  remedial  agent 
will  keep  it  up  to  its  present  standard  of  purity  and  excellence. 

Dr.  Walter  M.  Fleming,  A.M.,  M.D.,  New  York  City,  writes: 

With  all  the  experience  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  in  the  treatment  of  winter  cough,  and  all  its  complications 
of  laryngeal,  bronchial  and  pulmonary  irritability,  dyspnea,  asth- 
matic spasms,  and  finally  whooping  cough — usually  the  most  per- 
sistent and  tenacious  of  all  these  membranous  maladies — I  find 
no  one  remedy  more  strongly  indicated,  or  which  yields  more  prompt 
and  satisfactory  results  than  Antikamnia  and  heroin  tablets,  com- 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  lo-.i 

IMIM-I!  >,(  Antikamuia  r>  grains  and  li.Toin  Imlrochloride  1/12  grain. 
.  .  .  Result :  a  prompt  and  efficient  expectorant,  at  once  relaxing 
the  harsh  and  rasping  cough,  releasing  the  tenacious,  sticky  and 
gelatinous  mucus  which  is  soon  readily  expectorated,  while  the 
soothing  influence  of  the  Antikamnia  is  at.  once  manifested,  greatly 
to  the  comfort  and  contentment  of  the  patient.  .  .  .  Independ- 
ent of  the  fact  of  the  direct  applicability  of  this  remedy  to  the 
various  membranous  maladies  of  the  lungs,  bronchi,  fauces  and  nose, 
it  proves  also,  an  invariable  remedy  in  all  febrile  cases  where 
anodyne  Is  required.  This,  together  with  its  analgesic  and  anti- 
pyretic merits,  eminently  qualify  this  combination  for  a  responsive 
agent  in  the  treatment  of  nearly  all  the  numerous  febrile  attacks 
characterized  by  pain,  nervousness,  insomnia  and  their  accom- 
panying symptoms. 

"Antikamnia  and  Quinin" 

If  there  is  any  virtue  in  the  particular  combination  known 
as  "Antikamnia,"  a  physician  prescribing  the  tablets  supposed 
to  contain  combinations  of  "Antikamnia"  and  some  other 
drugs  should  have  some  guarantee  that  they  contain  those 
remedies.  Take,  for  example,  the  tablets  advertised  and  sold 
as  "Antikamnia  and  quinin."  It  might  reasonably  be  sup- 
posed that  the  tablets  contained  the  combination  known  as 
••Antikamnia";  this,  however,  seems  not  to  be  the  case. 
Previous  analyses,  as  published1  by  us,  have  shown  that  Anti- 
kamnia contains  approximately  20  per  cent,  of  sodium  bicar- 
bonate, yet  two  chemists,  working  separately,  have  been 
unable  to  find  this  ingredient  in  the  tablets  advertised  and 
sold  as  "Antikamnia  and  quinin."  Are  we  to  understand,  there- 
fore, that  the  manufacturers  do  not  consider  the  bicarbonate 
of  sodium  of  importance  in  their  preparation,  Antikamnia;  or 
are  they  guilty  of  misrepresentation  and  of  misleading  physi- 
cians in  omitting  this  constituent  from  their  product  Anti- 
kamnia when  that  is  combined  with  the  bisulphate  of  quinin  ? 
The  above  statement  regarding  the  omission  of  bicarbonate  of 
sodium  from  the  quinin  combination  may  be  verified  by  any 
physician  who  desires  to  make  a  few  simple  chemical  tests — 
carbonic  acid  is  not  given  off  when  the  tablets  are  treated  with 
dilute  acids,  as  would  be  the  case  if  sodium  bicarbonate  were 
present.  Further,  while  the  ordinary  Antikamnia  contains 
no  constituent  not  soluble  either  in  water  or  in  chloroform, 
and  while  quinin  bisulphate  is  readily  soluble  in  water,  the 
tablets  said  to  contain  Antikamnia  and  quinin  bisulphate. 
when  treated  successively  with  water  and  with  chloroform, 
leave  a  residue  of  more  than  18  per  cent. 

One  of  the  chemists  who  analyzed  the  preparation  for  us,  in 
commenting  on  this  in  a  letter,  says:  "The  matter  which  is 
insoluble  in  water,  alcohol  or  in  chloroform,  i.  e.,  the  substance 
which  is  neither  'Antikamnia'  nor  quinin  bisulphate,  amounts 
to  more  than  18  per  cent,  in  'Antikamnia  and  quinin  bisul- 
phate tablets.'  The  tablets  weigh  close  to  five  grains  and 
are  said  to  contain  2.5  grains  each  of  Antikamnia  and  quinin 

1.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.   A.,  June   3,   1905;  reproduced  on  page 
i)  of  this  edition. 


170  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

bisulpliatc.     How   is   this  possible  when  each   tablet  contains 
almost  one  grain  of  foreign  substance   (chiefly  starch)  ?" 

Further  comment  is  superfluous.     We  have  presented  facts 
to  our  readers  and  leave  them  to  draw  their  own  conclusions. 
-(From   The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  /,  J!)0~>.) 

Adding  Insult  to  Injury 

When  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  began  its 
work  of  independent  and  scientific  investigation  of  proprietary 
preparations,  some  of  the  questions  asked  were: 

"What  guarantee  has  the  medical  profession  that  the  for- 
mulas of  these  proprietary  medicines  are  not  changed  at  the 
will  of  the  manufacturers?  How  can  the  physician  who  con- 
fidingly prescribes  them  for  his  patients  know  that  the  prepa- 
ration which  he  orders  to-day  is  the  same  as  that  which  was 
furnished  him  last  year,  or  which  may  be  given  him  next  year, 
under  the  same  name?" 

At  once  a  wail,  as  of  injured  innocence,  went  up  from 
countless  venders  of  proprietary  medicines,  who  replied  witli 
one  voice: 

"The  honor  and  reputation  of  the  proprietors  and  manufac- 
turers is  sufficient  guarantee  of  the  stability  and  permanence 
of  these  preparations." 

So  vehement  were  their  protestations  and  so  well  simulated 
were  their  declarations  of  Pecksniffian  virtue  that  many  physi- 
cians were  deceived  thereby.  Many  medical  journals  (whose 
views  were,  perhaps,  slightly  biased  by  the  consideration  of 
fat  advertising  contracts)  also  were  apparently  convinced. 
But  the  fact  was  overlooked  that  guarantees  based  on  honor 
are  of  value  only  in  proportion  to  the  amount  and  quality  of 
honor  possessed  by  the  guarantors. 

The  enactment  of  the  national  Food  and  Drugs  Act  is  bring- 
ing many  things  to  light.  Some  of  them  are  interesting,  some 
would  be  am  vising  were  they  not  so  utterly  despicable.  Among 
other  things,  it  has  furnished  a  demonstration  of  the  value  of 
the  "honorable  assurances"  of  nostrum  venders. 

The  nostrum  Antikamnia  has  pointed  many  a  moral  in  the 
campaign  in  the  last  two  years.  It  was  hardly  to  be  hoped 
that  it  would  deliberately  furnish  a  demonstration  of  the 
utter  lack  of  honesty  on  the  part  of  a  certain  class  of  proprie- 
tary manufacturers.  Yet,  relying  apparently  on  the  ignorance 
of  the  public  and  the  long-continued  lethargy  of  the  medical 
profession,  its  promoters  have,  in  the  last  few  weeks,  unwit- 
tingly convicted  and  stultified  themselves.  When  the  puid  food 
law  went  into  effect,  the  proprietors  of  this  mixture  found 
themselves  in  a  sad  dilemma;  if  they  labeled  their  mixture  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  law  they  would  have  to 
admit  that  it  contained  acetanilid  and  that  the  charges  against 
them  were  true.  Failing  to  comply  with  the  law,  they  must 
go  out  of  business.  The  latter  alternative  was  not  to  be 
thought  of.  The  profits  gained  by  selling,  with  the  aid  of 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  171 

careless  or  ignorant  physicians,  a  five-  or  ten-cent  mixture 
for  $1  were  too  great  to  be  surrendered  without  a  struggle. 
The  same  brilliant  intellect,  perhaps,  that  first  saw  the  com- 
mercial possibilities  in  the  business,  said:  "Change  the  for- 
mula. Phenacetin  is  about  as  cheap  as  acetanilid;  the  patent 
has  just  expired  and  consequently  we  can  get  it  at  a  low  price. 
Let  us  substitute  phenacetin  for  acetanilid." 

As  a  result  the  profession  is  treated  to  an  edifying  exhibi- 
tion of  virtue  triumphant,  a  wolf  so  completely  covered  by 
the  harmless  coat  of  a  sheep  that  he  flatters  himself  that  his 
wolfish  nature  is  completely  concealed.  No  longer  are  skulls 
and  skeletons  sent  out  in  calendar  form  as  grinning  advance 
agents  to  be  displayed  in  every  doctor's  office,  but  instead  a 
beautiful  domestic  scene,  showing  a  convalescent  child  nestling 
in  the  arms  of  its  mother.  The  familiar  "AK,"  however,  as 
usual,  is  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner.  And  what  a  change 
in  labels!  No  longer  is  Antikamnia  a  chemical  entity,  but  the 
label  now  openly  but  ingenuously  declares  that  "Antikamnia 
tablets  in  this  original  package  contain  350  grains  of  acet- 
phenetidin,  U.  S.  P.,  per  ounce.  Guaranteed  under  the  Food 
and  Drugs  Act,  June  30,  190G.  Serial  No.  10."  While,  below, 
as  an  entirely  unnecessary  display  of  conformity  to  the  Pure 
Food  Act,  appears  this  statement: 

The  Antikamnia  tablets  in  this  original  ounce  package  contain  no 
acetanilid,  antifebrin,  antipyrin,  alcohol,  morphin,  opium,  codein, 
heroin,  cocain,  alpha-  or  beta-eucain,  arsenic,  strychnin,  chloroform, 
cannabis  indica  or  chloral  hydrate. 

Truly,  Satan  is  appearing  as  an  angel  of  light.  What  a 
gratification  it  is  to  the  long  exploited  profession  to  know  that 
Antikamnia  contains  no  alcohol,  no  chloroform,  no  cannabis 
indica,  no  chloral  hydrate.  How  unfortunate  that  this  spon- 
taneous display  of  confidence  is  not  carried  far  enough  to 
inform  the  profession  of  the  ingredients,  aside  from  phenace- 
tin, contained  in  the  mixture! 

The  label  is  an  admission  that  the  nostrum  does  not  contain 
what  it  was  never  supposed  to  contain,  with  the  exception  of 
acetanilid,  and  is  directly  an  attempt  to  conceal  the  real 
contents.  The  proprietors  know  that  the  dear  public,  whose 
"pains,  headaches,  neuralgias,  women's  aches  and  ills,  grippal 
neuroses,  nervousness,  insomnia,  rheumatism,  lightning  pains 
of  locomotor  ataxia,  sciatica,  etc.,"  they  are  longing  to  assuage, 
will  not  know  that  acetphenetidin  is  the  official  designation 
for  what  is  popularly  known  as  phenacetin,  and  that  this 
dangerous  product  is  found  in  the  new  mixture  in  the  propor- 
tion of  approximately  4  grains  to  a  5-grain  tablet.  Evidently 
they  also  presume  considerably  on  the  ignorance  of  our  pro- 
fession, or  why  should  they  make  the  brazen  statement  that 
four  grains  of  phenacetin  is  the  "most  reliable  remedy"  for 
the  long  list  of  diseases  enumerated  on  their  advertising 
calendar? 


172 


PROPAGANDA     FOR 


When  the  formula  for  which  such  wonderful  virtue*  were 
claimed  was  suddenly  thrown  overboard,  was  the  medical  pro- 
fession, which  by  its  short-sighted  patronage  had  built  up  this 
business,  notified  in  any  way  of  the  change?  Search  the  new 
advertising  matter  of  this  nostrum  from  beginning  to. end  and 
you  will  not  find  one  word  to  show  that  "The  Antikamnia 
tablets  in  this  original  ounce  package"  differ  in  the  slightest 
particular  from  those  sold  to  the  profession  and  the  public  for 


FOR  HEADACHES  •*** 

NEURALGIAS,  LA  GRIPPE.  PAIN  AND  FEVER 


A  reduced  reproduction  of  a  full-page  Antikamnia  advertisement 
appearing  in  the  New  York.iror/d  Almanac,  1911. 

years  past.  This  being  true  (and  the  statements  of  the  pro- 
moters themselves  are  our  authority  for  it),  what  remains  of 
the  pratings  of  "honor"  and  the  "guarantee  of  the  manu- 
facturers"? Has  a  physician  no  right  to  know  when  a  change 
is  made  in  the  formula  of  a  preparation  which  he  has  been 
prescribing  for  years? 

What  assurance  has  the  profession  that,  at  any  moment,  a 
cheaper  or  more  dangerous  drug  may  not  be  substituted  for 
"acetphenetidin"  if  thereby  the  law  can  be  evaded  or  the 
profits  of  the  delectable  business  enhanced? 


MIHVELLANEOUX     .VO,s77,'M/x  173 

How  can  any  conscientious  physician  prescribe,  for  those 
who  confide  their  lives  to  his  care,  a  preparation  the  stability 
of  the  formula  of  which  must  depend  absolutely  on  its 
owner's  whim? 

How  can  a  physician  with  the  slightest  sense  of  responsi- 
bility to  his  patients  allow  his  office  to  be  used  as  a  free 
advertising  bureau  for  a  preparation  manifestly  founded  and 
developed  on  deceit  and  misrepresentation? 

How  can  any  medical  journal,  except  those  avowedly  and 
unblushingly  seeking  to  aid  the  nostrum  maker  to  exploit  the 
profession,  whose  interests  they  claim  to  serve,  continue  to 
carry  the  deceptive  and  misleading  advertisement  of  a  twice 
exposed  fraud? 

How  can  any  physician  with  a  particle  of  self-respect  or 
manhood  continue  to  support,  by  subscription  or  contribution, 
any  medical  journal  which,  by  accepting  such  advertising, 
allies  itself  with  the  army  of  deceit  and  chicanery? — (Ab- 
stracted from  The  Journal' A.  M.  (.,  Jan.  26,  1907.} 

Still  Further  Duplicity 

When  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  went  into  effect  the  manu- 
facturers of  this  preparation,  instead  of  continuing  to  put  out 
the  same  mixture  as  they  had  been  doing  radically  changed 
the  composition  by  substituting  acetphenetidin  (phenacetin) 
for  acetanilid.  By  doing  this  the  company  avoided  the  dis- 
agreeable necessity  for  acknowledging  on  the  label  that  the 
nostrum  contained  acetanilid,  as  was  shown  by  the  analysis 
published  in .  THE  JOURNAL,  June  3,  1905.  In  addition  to 
stating  that  the  package  of  Antikamnia  contained  acetphene- 
tidin, the  company  also  stated  that  it  contained  no  "acetanilid, 
antifebrin,  antipyrin,  alcohol,  morphin,  opium,  codein,  heroin, 
cocain,  strychnin,  chloroform,  cannabis  indica,  or  chloral 
hydrate."  Knowing  that  the  nostrum  was  being  advertised  in 
Great  Britain  and  Canada  as  well  as  in  the  United  States, 
THE  JOURNAL  obtained  some  Antikamnia  from  London,  and  it 
was  analyzed  in  the  Association's  laboratory.  As  was  sus- 
pected, the  analysis  showed  that  Antikamnia  as  sold  abroad 
lias  the  same  composition  now  as  it  had  in  the  United  States 
before  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  went  into  force,  viz.:  Acetani- 
lid, 67.75  per  cent.;  caffein,  4.88  per  cent.,  and  citric  acid  and 
sodium  bicarbonate,  by  difference,  25.36  per  cent.  This  corre- 
sponds with  the  analysis  previously  made  and  published  in 
THE  JOURNAL,  June  3,  1905.  The  Antikamnia  on  the  market 
in  this  country  was  also  analyzed  and  it  was  found  to  contain : 
acetphenetidin  (phenacetin),  72.05  per  cent.;  caffein,  13.95 
per  cent.;  citric  acid  and  sodium  bicarbonate.  14  per  cent.  The 
preparation  sold  as  "Anlikamnia  and  Quinin"  was  also  ana- 
lyzed, and  it  was  found  that  starch  had  been  substituted  for 
the  bicarbonate  of  sodium  which  is  found  in  the  Antikamnia 
itself.  The  details  of  the  analyses  are  given  with  the  follow- 
ing comments:  "The  above  are  brief  statements  of  bald  facts. 


174  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Two  of  these  should  be  emphasized :  ( 1 )  When  the  Food  and 
Drugs  Act  went  into  force,  January,  1907,  the  manufacturers 
of  Antikamnia,  rather  than  acknowledge  the  truth  of  the  past 
— we  can  imagine  no  other  reason — materially  and  radically 
changed  the  composition  of  their  preparation,  and  did  this 
without  notifying  the  medical  profession  or  intimating  in  any 
way,  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  that  such  a  change  had  been  made. 
We  have  no  doubt  they  believed  they  had  a  right  to  do  as  they 
pleased  with  their  own;  that  it  was  nobody's  business  but 
theirs  what  they  did  with  their  own  preparation,  or  how  they 
changed  it.  As  they  never  had  told  physicians  what  it  con- 
tained, there  was  no  reason  why  they  should  do  so  now.  This 
is  logical,  and  we  cannot  blame  the  manufacturers  so  long  as 
the  medical  profession  is  willing  to  be  humbugged.  (2)  For 
the  same  reason,  we  presume,  they  claim  that  they  have  a 
right  to  continue  to  use  acetanilid  in  the  product  for  the  for- 
eign market.  The  Food  and  Drugs  Act  applies  only  to  the 
United  States,  of  course,  and  acetanilid  being  cheaper,  why  not 
use  it?  What  is  the  difference  if  one  is  more  dangerous  than 
the  other?  The  fact  that  the  Antikamnia  sold  abroad  differs 
from  that  sold  in  this  country  some  may  say  is  of  no  special 
interest  to  us.  Still  this  fact  is  worth  noting:  The  dose  of 
acetphenetidin — phenacetin — (7%  grains)  is  nearly  double 
that  of  acetanilid  (4  grains)  :  one  becoming  accustomed  to  a 
certain  dosage  of  the  nostrum  as  sold  in  this  country  might, 
while  abroad,  unwittingly  be  led  to  take  a  double  dose  of 
acetanilid. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  8, 
1908.) 

Samples,  Form  Letters  and  "Prescriptions"  Sent  to  the  Laity 

To  the  Editor: — The  enclosed  "literature"  is  being  sent 
broadcast  to  the  laity  by  the  Antikamnia  people  and  still  a 
great  many  of  the  physicians  throughout  the  country  are  pre- 
scribing the  preparation  thus  advertised.  Will  the  time  ever 
come  when  the  medical  fraternity  will  awaken  to  the  fact  that 
it  has  been  humbugged  by  a  great  many  manufacturing  con- 
cerns? I  certainly  hope  so. 

J.  W.  DuVAL,  M.D.,  Wichita  Falls,  Texas. 

COMMENT: — The  "literature"  referred  to  by  our  conespond- 
ent  consists  of  a  form  letter  and  a  small  pamphlet.  The  letter 
was  similar  to  the  one  reproduced  on  page  175. 

The  pamphlet  accompanying  the  letter  is  entitled  "Practical 
Prescriptions,"  and  contains  a  list  of  diseases  and  morbid 
states  arranged  alphabetically  from  "Alcoholism,"  "Asthma" 
and  "Backache,"  to  "Wind."  "Women's  Pains"  and  "Worry." 
For  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  conditions  listed,  "Anti- 
kamnia," "Antikamnia  and  Codein"  or  "Laxative  Antikamnia 
and  Quinin"  are  prescribed,  demonstrating  that  the  "prescrip- 
tions" are  more  "practical"  than  scientific. 


\OSTKUM8  175 

In  many  respects  the  methods  of  the  proprietors  of  ''head- 
ache powders"  and  "anti-pain  pills"  are  less  offensive  to  one's 
sense  of  professional  decency  that  the  course  pursued  by  the 
Antikamnia  people.  The  former  have  at  least  never  recom- 
mended their  products  as  "ethical  proprietaries;"  they  have 
not  used  medical  men  as  their  unpaid  agents;  the  claims  made 
for  their  products  have  been  no  more  exaggerated;  and  they 
have  not  found  it  necessary,  from  the  requirements  of  the 
Food  and  Drugs  Act,  to  substitute  acetphenetidin  for  acetan- 
ilid  to  avoid  giving  the  lie  to  their  former  claims. 


SAFETY CERTAINTY CELERIT1 

St.  Louis,  U.S.A. 


April  Twentieth 
1910 


Do  you  ever  suffer  pain?  If  so, 
try  Antikamnia  Tablets!  Sanpla  enclosed. 
Your  druggist  »ill  supply  fchen  in  any  quan- 
tity (lu  oanta  worth  or  more),  aioo  in  oar 
"Test-Pookot-Boxes",  aa  below. 
Sincerely  yours; 


As  to  the  query  propounded  by  our  correspondent:  \.Ye  are 
optimistic  enough  to  believe  that  the  time  he  longs  for  is 
already  here.  The  fact  that  the  proprietors  of  nostrums  of 
the  Antikamnia  type  are  finding  it  necessary  to  advertise  to 
the  laity  is,  in  itself,  evidence  of  the  diminishing  demand  for 
such  products  on  the  part  of  the  medical  profession. — (From 
The  ./ounnil  .1.  .]/.  .1.,  April  18,  190X.) 

Antikamnia  in   America   and   Great   Britain 
The   following   letter   from   the   Antikamnia    Chemical    Com- 
pany to  THE  JOURNAL  was  received  about  August  1,  1912: 


"You  have  at  various  times  represented  in  your  Jot  UNAI.  that  tin1 
Antikamnia  sold  in  foreign  countries,  particularly  in  Great  Britain, 
has  a  different  formula  from  the  Antikamnia  sold  in  the  United 
States,  and  you  have  also  published  alleged  formulas  of  each  to 
show  wherein  they  are  supposed  to  differ. 

"We  hereby  respectfully  notify  you  that  the  Antikamnia  formula 
is  the  same  for  all  countries,  and  the  publication  of  any  statements 
to  the  effect  that  the  formula  of  Antikamnia  is  different  in  Great 
Britain,  or  any  other  foreign  country,  from  that  sold  in  the  United 
States  is  a  libel,  and  will  be  prosecuted  as  such." 

On  the  receipt  of  this  a  letter  was  written  to  a  correspondent 
in  London  requesting  him  to  pTirchase  in  the  open  market  a 
package  of  Antikamnia.  This  was  done  and  the  original  sealed 
package  reached  the  Association's  laboratory  a  few  days  ago. 
Careful  analysis  of  this  specimen  shows  it  to  contain  acetanilid 
but  no  acetplmietidin.  while  the  Antikamnia  sold  in  the 
United  States  contains  acetpheneti<!in  bnt  no  acetanilid.  The 
company's  protest  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  the  for- 
mula of  some  Antikamnia,  at  least,  is  still  different  in  Great 
Britain  from  that  sold  in  the  United  States.  It  is  possible, 
of  course,  that  some  time  in  the  future  the  composition  of 
every  package  of  this  nostrum  on  sale  in  the  United  Kingdom 
will  be  similar  to  that  of  every  package  sold  in  the  United 
States.  It  is  even  possible  that  "Antikamnia  &  Quinin"  tablets 
will — or  do — actually  consist  of  quinin  and  the  mixture  called 
Antikamnia — although,  as  Tnr:  .lot  KNAT.  has  shown,  this  has 
not  been  the  case  in  the  past.  Since  the  patent  expired  on 
acetphenetidin,  this  drug  has  become  so  cheap — it  can  be 
bought  at  wholesale  for  less  than  6  cents  an  ounce — that, 
commercially,  it  must  make  very  little  difference  whether  ace- 
tanilid or  acetphenetidin  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  Anti- 
kamnia. But  the  question  arises:  Have  our  British  confreres 
been  notified  of  the  change  in  formula  ?  A  careful  study  of 
the  Antikamnia  advertisements  in  English  medical  journals 
shows  that  the  British  medical  profession  has  been  given  nc 
more  consideration  by  this  conc?rn  than  was  the  American 
medical  profession  when  the  change  in  composition  was  made 
on  this  side.  But  then  why  should  it  be?  Physicians,  British 
or  American,  who  are  addicted  to  the  prescribing  of  secret 
proprietaries  such  as  Antikamnia  have  little  need  of  formulas 
— "Theirs  not  to  reason  why!"  The  medical  profession  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  has  never  known  the  exact  composi- 
tion of  Antikamnia  and  does  not  know  it  now.  Physicians  who 
call  tor  preparations  of  the  Antikamnia  type  are  prescribing 
names,  not  drugs.—  (From  The  JouriHil.  .1.  .!/.  .1..  Oct.  2f».  1912.) 

Again,  Antikamnia 

In  season  and  out  of  season.  TIIK  JornxAL  has  exposed  the 
Antikamnia  fraud  until  it  would  seem  thai  its  leaders  would 
become  weary  of  the  very  name.  Then1  is  nothing  new  to 
say  about  this  dangerous  stnlV.  and  yet  the  number  of  inquiries 
indicates  that  thousands  of  TIIK  .lon:\.\i.'s  renders  do  not 


177 


kno'iV  of  the  previous  exposures.  More  than  fifteen  years  ago 
THE  JOURNAL  ceased  carrying  the  Antikamnia  advertisement; 
more  than  ten  years  ago  it  notified  its  readers  that  the  nos- 
trum was  being  advertised  to  the  public  by  means  of  circular 
letters;  more  than  six  years  ago  it  proved  that,  when  the 
Food  and  Drugs  Act  went  into  effect,  acetphenetidin  had  been 
substituted  for  acetanilid  in  Antikamnia  evidently  in  order 
that  the  presence  of  the  older  drug,  of  whose  dangers  the 
public  had  been  made  aware  might  not  have  to  be  admitted; 
more  than  five  years  ago  THE  JOURNAL  showed  that  the 
Antikamnia  sold  in  the  British  Isles  still  contained  acetanilid, 
and  as  late  as  last  October  it  verified  this  statement  although 
threatened  with  prosecution  for  libel  by  the  Antikamnia  Chem- 
ical Company. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  all  these  exposures,  not  a  week  passes  that 
we  do  not  receive  one  or  more  letters  calling  attention  to  the 
Antikamnia  fraud.  Most  of  these  letters  deal  with  one,  or 


Reproductions  of  portions  of  pages  in  the  booklets  sent  out 
by  the  Antikiimnia  Chemical  Company  to  physicians  (on  the 
right),  and  laymen  (on  the  left),  respectively.  Those  who  do  not 
realize  the  character  of  the  Antikamnia  concern  naturally  imagine 
that  the  quotation  here  given  from  THE  JOURNAL  is  a  comparatively 
recent  one.  Notice  that  no  dates  are  given.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
it  is  twenty-two  years  old.  Dr.  Mclntyre,  who  wrote  it,  has  been 
dead  eleven  years. 

more,  of  three  points:  first,,  the  fact  that  the  stuff  is  being 
advertised  to  the  public  by  means  of  circular  letters  and  that 
sample  "vest-pocket  boxes"  of  this  dangerous  drug  are  being 
sent  through  the  mail  to  laymen;  second,  that  Antikamnia 
is  being  advertised  in  newspapers,  and,  third,  that  in  the 
booklets  sent  out  by  the  Antikamnia  Chemical  Company  both 
to  the  medical  profession  and  to  the  public,  a  paragraph  is 
quoted  from  :m  article  by  Dr.  John  IT.  MoTntyre  lhat  appeared 

The  first  two  points  have  already  been  discussed  so  fre- 
quently that  it  seems  hardly  worth  while  to  take  them  up 


178 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


again  in  detail,  though  it  might  be  said  that  the  medical  pro- 
fession has  at  last  become  so  familiar  with  this  wide-spread 
humbug  that  the  Antikamnia  Chemical  Company  has  finally 
gone  over  body  and  soul  to  the  newspapers.  So  far  as  we 
can  learn  only  three  publications  professing  to  be  medical 
journals  still  carry  the  Antikamnia  advertisement.  Those 
three  are : 

Southern  Practitioner  I'mi/i,-  Mi-ilimf  ,l<nirii<il 

Therapeutic  Record 

As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the  British  medical  journals  are 
not  so  particular,  and  we  still  find  Antikamnia  advertised  in: 

Medical  Press  and  Circular  Lancet 

Glasgow  Medical  Journal  Canada  Lancet 

Journal  Tropical  Medicine  and  Hyyiene  Practitioner 
Dublin  Journal  Medical  Science 


s£wS355H  ft."..*  '•> 


Photographic  reproductions  of  two  typical  Antikamnia  advertise- 
ments now  appearing  in  newspapers  all  over  the  country-  These 
tablets  are  advertised  in  various  newspapers  as  being  "safe"  and 
neither  "depressant"  nor  "habit-forming" — three  separate  and  dis- 
tinct falsehoods. 

The  reproduction  of  the  Mclntyre  quotation  is  evidently 
adopted  by  the  Antikamnia  concern  as  a  means  of  "playing 
even"  with  THE  JOURNAL  for  the  unpleasant  things  it  has  said 
about  it.  In  quoting  Dr.  Mclntyre,  the  Antikamnia  Chemical 
Company  carefully  avoids  giving  the  date  on  which  the  article 
appeared.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  article  was  printed  in  THE 
JOURNAL  over  twenty  years  ago  (July  4,  1891),  and  Dr. 
Mclntyre  himself  has  been  dead  for  eleven  years.  Presumably, 
however,  the  Antikamnia  Chemical  Company  will  continue  to 
mislead,  either  directly  or  by  inference,  until  the  end  of  the 
chapter. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  12,  W13.) 

ASPIRO-LITHINE 

Aspiro-lithiuc  is  another  comparatively  new  example  of  the 
custom  of  proprietary  manufacturers  in  putting  forward  old 
drugs  under  a  new  name  and  with  them  bidding  for  the  favor 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  179 

of  physicians.  An  inquiry  has  been  received  concerning  this 
mixture.  It  is  prepared  by  McKesson  &  Robbins  and  is  said 
to  contain  in  each  tablet  5  grains  of  acetylsalicylic  acid 
(aspirin)  and  2%  grains  of  acid  citro-tartrate  of  lithium.  It 
is  recommended  for  all  the  purposes  for  which  acetylsalicylic 
acid  is  commonly  used,  and  on  account  of  the  lithium  added 
is  claimed  to  have  much  greater  virtues  than  either  of  these 
drugs  alone  or  of  both  combined. 

We  had  hoped  that  the  time  had  passed  for  reputable  houses 
to  employ  such  time-worn  methods,  but  probably  they  will 
not  stop  so  long  as  physicians  encourage  them  by  continuing 
to  use  such  preparations.  Acetylsalicylic  acid  is  a  good  drug, 
whose  value  is  pretty  well  known.  It  is  further  known  that 
lithium  salts  do  not  possess  any  great  medicinal  virtue.  Just 
what  acid  citro-tartrate  of  lithium  may  be  is  hard  to  tell,  for 
chemistries  do  not  recognize  such  a  substance.  The  name 
presumably  is  intended  to  hide  the  real  nature  of  the  prepara- 
tion. 

But  if  there  be  any  advantage  in  combining  lithium  salts 
with  acetylsalicylic  acid  in  a  prescription,  it  is  a  simple  propo- 
sition and  requires  no  great  skill,  either  on  the  part  of  the 
physician  who  writes  the  prescription  or  on  the  part  of  the 
druggist  who  puts  it  up,  and  such  mixtures  as  aspiro-lithine, 
with  the  exaggerated  claims  made  for  them,  should  be  avoided 
in  the  physician's  prescribing. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
May  28,  1910.) 

BENETOL 

During  the  last  few  months  sensational  and  ridiculously 
misleading  articles  have  appeared  in  the  daily  press  regarding 
a  proprietary  preparation  called  Benetol.  The  nostrum  seems 
to  be  advertised  by  the  direct  method  only  to  physicians;  to 
the  public  it  goes  via  the  special  newspaper  article  route,  as 
a  "marvelous  medical  discovery."  It  is  but  fair  to  say  in  this 
connection,  that  the  newspapers  which  have  published  these 
articles  seem  to  have  done  so  in  good  faith  and  in  total 
ignorance  of  the  fact  that  they  were  giving  the  Benetol  Com- 
pany a  large  amount  of  free  advertising.  It  is  evident  that 
the  press  agent's  work  waa  well  done. 

Here  are  a  few  claims  that  are  made,  either  to  the  medical 
profession  or  to  the  public,  for  Benetol : 

"A  new  germicidal  antiseptic  marvel." 

"The  only  safe  germicidal  antiseptic." 

"It  will  cure  <jny  germ  trouble  it  can  reach." 

"Is  beneficial  rather  than  dangerous  in  overdoses." 

"The  only  germicide  that  can  follow  and  kill  germs." 

"A  laboratory  product  of  the  University  of  Minnesota." 

"A   chemical    which   destroys    the   germs   of   tuberculosis,    typhoid 

and  cancer." 

"Ten  drops  allowed  to  remain  a  short  time  in  a  gallon  of  infected 

water  will  make  the  water  riot  only  safe  to  drink,  but  will  make  it 

beneficial  as  a  medicated  water." 


ISO 


I'lfiH'.  I  a.  I  \  1>\     l-'Olt     REFORM 


In  the  newspaper  write-ups  cri  Benetol,  its  discoverer  is 
given  about  the  same  degree  of  publicity  as  the  drug.  Benetol 
is  said  to  have  been  "discovered"  by  "Prof.  H.  C.  Carel,  Head 
of  the  Department  of  Medical  Chemistry  and  Toxicology. 
University  of  Minnesota  (Retired;." 

In  many  of  the  newspaper  articles  it  is  implied  that  Carel  is 
still  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  University  of  Minnesota. 
The  facts  are,  Carel  has  net  been  connected  with  this  institu- 
tion for  some  years.  His  connection  with  the  university 
ceased  at  the  time  he  exploited  a  hair  restorer — "Hygenol." 
In  selling  his  cure  for  baldness,  he  attempted  then,  as  he  is 
attempting  now,  to  mako  capital  out  of  the  good  name  of  the 
university — and  the  board  of  regents  saw  to  it  that  Carel's 
connection  with  the  university  was  severed.  The  attempt. 


Benetol   a    the    Most    Wonderful    Cerm.cidal 
Antiseptic  Healing  Agent  Known. 

AFFAIR  TEST 
S«M  Specially  Useful  Hints  for  Use  of  Benetol 

RELIEVING   PAIN 


COMMON   COLDS 


TUBERCULAR  OR 


THAT  DARK  BROWN    TASTE 

B9£*Sr«S5«5!c5s 


DO  NOT  FAIL 


BENETOL 

Th,  Only  Sale  Germicidal  Antiseptic 
TESTED-PROVEN-ENDORSED 


1 


ALWAYS 


A»  «;*»£«— •Sfi^'-jj,  n\r^.'a~  ^LKTiT  ~ 

S^r  ."sSoV:  is  £rs.*s?i;  Ji.nr^'Sf  •"•* 

ss^w-SfwifS^^'-rM 
HA^-s^'^':"i^2«-s:sirs~~ 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced)  of  two  pages  of  a  leaflet 
sent  out  by  the  Benetol  concern.  As  may  be  seen,  it  is  recom- 
mended for  complaints  from  "cold  in  the  head"  and  "that  dark 
trown  taste,"  to  cancer  and  tuberculosis. 

therefore,  to  exploit  Benetol  as  "a  laboratory  product  of  the 
University  of  Minnesota,"  is  both  an  outrage  on  an  institution 
of  learning  and  a  fraud  on  the  purchaser. 

In  one  of  the  press-agent  notices  on  Benetol,  the  claim  is 
mQ.de  that  tne  War  Department  has  investigated  Carel's  "New 
Discovery"  and  that  the  heads  of  the  department  have  urged 
(lie  government  to  secure  the  "sole  information  and  owner- 
ship" of  Benetol.  As  a  clincher  it  goes  on  to  say: 

"An  emissary  Is  being  sent  to  Prof.  Carel  to  enter  into  negotia 
tions.  and  fo'-  the  first  time  in  its  history  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment may  go  into  the  germicide  business." 


Ml  ME  1. 1.  I  \  i:<><  x     NOSTRUMS 


181 


An  inquiry  at  the  War  Department,  regarding  the  veracity 
of  the  statements  given  in  the  exploitation  of  Benetol,  brought 
the  following  statement  from  the  office  of  the  surgeon-general: 

"As  you  have  surmised,  there  is  no  foundation  of  truth  in  the 
statement  which  you  inclose  with  reference  to  the  use  of  'Benetol' 
by  the  medical  department  of  the  Army.  This  office  has  not  author- 
ized the  purchase  of  any  'Benetol'  nor  has  it  investigated  its 
merits." 

Nor  was  the  army  alone  the  only  department  of  the  govern- 
ment that  was  credited  with  waxing  enthusiastic  over  Carel's 
nostrum.  It  was  claimed  that  the  stuff  had  been  testeJ  in  the 


Greatly  reduced  photographic  reproduction  of  a  part  of  a  full- 
page  newspaper  write-up  of  Benetol.  Under  the  portrait  of  the 
"inventor"  of  Benetol  appears  the  statement  "Prof.  Herbert  Charles 
von  Fuerstenburg  Carel,  of  the  University  of  Minnesota,  the  in- 
ventor of  Benetol."  This  write-up  appeared  in  the  Philadelphia 
Xorth  American,  a  paper  that  treats  "patent  medicine"  fakers  with 
scant  courtesy.  It  was  the  appearance  of  such  an  article  in  a 
paper  of  this  type  that  caused  us  to  investigate  the  method  by 
which  the  exploiters  of  Benetol  got  their  product  into  the  newspa- 
pers in  this  form. 


navy.  An  inquiry  addressed  to  the  Bureau  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery  of  the  Department  of  the  Navy  brought  the  following 
statement: 

"This  Bureau  has  never  issued  'Benetol'  for  use  in  the  Navy  and 
does  not  contemplate  doing  so,  having  no  knowledge  of,  nor  interest 
in,  this  preparation." 


182  PROPAGANDA     I'D  It 

In  view  of  the  claims  that  have  been  made  for  Benetol  its 
composition  is  a  matter  of  interest.  What  is  this  marvelous 
germicide;  this  "chemical,"  which  destroys  the  germ  of  cancer; 
this  wonderful  discovery  which  "for  six  years  Prof.  Carel 
toiled  night  and  day"  to  produce;  this  potent  typhoid 
destroyer,  10  drops  of  which  in  a  gallon  of  infected  water  will 
make  the  water  not  only  safe  but  benefici?!;  what  is  this 
new  medical  wonder?  This  inquiry  was  referred  to  the 
director  of  the  Association's  Chemical  Laboratory  and  secre- 
tary of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry,  who  replied: 

"Chemical  examination  of  Benetol  shows  that  it  is  a  solution 
of  alpha-naphtol  containing  about  18  gm.  of  the  substance  in 
100  c.c.  The  solvent  appears  to  consist  of  water,  glycerin  and 
soap.  Alpha-naphtol  is  a  well-known  substance,  closely  related 
to,  but  not  identical  with,  beta-naphtol  which  is  official  in  the 
United  States  Pharmacopeia.  The  claim  made  in  the  adver- 
tising matter  for  Benetol,  that  it  is  a  newly  discovered  com- 
pound, is  absurd.  It  is  not  a  chemical  compound  but  a  simple 
solution  of  the  well-known  substance  alpha-naphtol  in  the  still 
better-known  substances,  glycerin,  soap  and  water." — -f/<Vom 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  15,  W11.) 


BROMIDIA 

Deaths  From  the  Use  of  the  Remedy 
Dr.  Horatio  C.  Wood,  Jr.,  Philadelphia,  writes: 
"One  of  the  deleterious  results  of  using  proprietary  mixtures 
even  when  the  formula  is  known  is  that  the  physician  gets  in 
the  habit  of  thinking  of  the  mixture  as  a  remedial  entity, 
instead  of  a  combination  of  active  ingredients,  and  is  thereby 
led  to  use  this  combination  in  cases  in  which  he  would  have 
avoided  the  individual  drugs  making  up  the  mixture.  The  fol- 
lowing item  is  taken  from  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Telegraph, 
February  13,  and  also  appeared  in  several  New  York  papers; 
it  preaches  an  eloquent  but  pathetic  sermon  on  this  subject: 

Within  an  hour  after  his  father,  a  Brooklyn  physician,  had 
given  him  a  dose  of  bromid,  II.  G.  P.,  a  prodigal  son,  died  yesterday 
at  his  father's  home  in  Brooklyn.  Two  years  ago,  when  he  appeared 
to  have  sown  his  wild  oats,  the  father  made  him  superintendent  of 
his  country  place,  near  Grants  Mills,  Delaware  County.  A  week 
ago  the  son  left  his  place,  and  at  1  o'clock  yesterday  morning 
appeared  at  his  father's  Brooklyn  home.  He  was  nervous,  and  at 
9  a.  m.  begged  for  a  sedative. 

"I  prescribed  the  usual  quantity  of  bromidia,"  the  young  man's 
father  told  a  reporter.  "He  was  weak  and  had  suffered  from  weak 
heart  and  kidney  trouble  for  some  time." 

An  hour  later  the  father  found  the  son  dying  and  administered 
restoratives,  but  to  no  avail. 

"In  an  article  published  in  THE  JOUBNAL,  June  10,  1905.  page 
1836,  I  quoted  in  regard  to  bromidia  the  remarkable  statement 
of  the  manufacturers  that  it  is  "the  safest  hypnotic  known," 


MIKCI-'.LL  I  \  A'orx     .YON'/'/.V.I/N  183 


and  questioned  how  the  addition  of  potassium  bromid  and 
tincture  of  hyoscyamus  could  overcome  the  depressant  action 
of  the  chloral,  which  is  the  active  ingredient  of  this  nostrum. 
If  the  physician  had  thought  of  his  bromidia  as  a  solution  of 
chloral  rather  than  as  a  solution  of  bromid  he  probably  would 
have  hesitated  before  using  it  in  an  alcoholic  case." 

The  following  appeared  in  the  Bangor  (Me.)  Commercial, 
March  8: 

Frank  II.  Perkins,  a  newspaper  reporter  of  Plymouth,  Mass  . 
was  found  dead  in  a  room  in  a  hotel  in  Augusta,  Sunday.  The 
coroner  stated  that  death  was  due  to  bromidia  poisoning,  but 
whether  the  drug  was  taken  accidentally  or  with  suicidal  intent 
is  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Perkins  was  a  newspaper  correspondent 
in  Plymouth  for  22  years.  He  left  a  few  weeks  ago  to  accept  a 
position  on  the  city  desk  of  the  Kennebec  Journal.  While  a  resident 
of  Plymouth,  he  was  correspondent  for  a  number  of  Boston  papers, 
and  in  recent  years  was  connected  with  the  Plymouth  Observer. 
lie  was  55  years  old  and  unmarried.  It  is  understood  that  his 
nearest  surviving  relative  is  an  aunt  in  Middleboro. 

The  above  item  was  sent  to  Dr.  0.  C.  S.  Davies,  Augusta, 
with  a  request  that  he  send  us  a  more  complete  report  of 
the  case.  In  his  reply  Dr.  Davies  stated  thjit  Mr.  Perkins 
had  at  one  time  been  an  inmate  of  an  inebriates'  home  and 
that  he  had  gone  to  Augusta  to  do  newspaper  work,  but  had 
been  unable  to  hold  the  position  because  of  his  condition.  Dr. 
Davies  in  his  letter,  says:  "When  the  body  was  found,  there 
were  eleven  one-ounce  bromidia  bottles  about  the  room  or  on 
his  person.  Nine  were  entirely  empty  and  the  other  two  were 
about  half  full.  None  of  these  bottles  indicated  that  they  had 
been  purchased  on  a  physician's  prescription,  only  the  drug- 
gist's label  marked  'bromidia'  being  on  them."-  -(From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A..  April  21,  1906.) 


BROMIN-IODIN  COMPOUND 
The  Life-History  of  a  Nostrum 

A  correspondent  writes  for  information  concerning  a  remedy 
known  as  Bromin-Iodin  Comp.,  which  he  says  is  manufactured 
by  the  Bromin-Iodin  Chemical  Company,  formerly  of  Bing- 
hamton,  N.  Y.,  but  now  located  in  San  Diego,  California. 
In  THE  JOVRNAL  for  Feb.  5,  1898,  appeared  an  article  by  Dr. 
C.  W.  Ingraham,  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  entitled  "Five  Years' 
Successful  Experience  with  a  Special  Mode  of  Treating  Pul- 
monary Tuberculosis."  This  "special  mode"  of  treatment  con- 
sisted in  using  what  Dr.  Ingraham  called  "bromin-iodi7i  com- 
pound," which  he  said  had  the  following  formula: 

lodin     gr.   1/2 

Bromin    gr.  1/14 

Phosphorus    gr.  1/100 

Thymol     gr.  2/3 

Menthol     gr.  2/3 

Sterilized    oil fl.  dr.       1 


184  PROPAGANDA     FOR     /,'/•:/•>.  /,'.!/ 

This  "hypodermic  treatment  of  phthisis"  was  widely  adver- 
tised in  the  late  nineties  by  the  Bromin-Iodin  Chemical  Co., 
Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  and  was  but  one  of  the  innumerable 
"treatments"  for  pulmonary  tuberculosis  that  have  risen,  had 
their  day  and,  more  or  less  gracefully,  retired.  It  was  first 
sold  "to  physicians  only"  for  hypodermic  administration.  In 
190G,  however,  physicians  were  told  by  the  company  that  "if 
we  find  it  impossible  to  secure  your  cooperation  .  .  .  we  will 
be  compelled  to  do  business  with  the  druggists  in  your  local- 
ity. ..."  Apparently  they  found  such  cooperation  impos- 
sible, because  a  leaflet  was  issued  to  the  laity  and  the  state- 
ment was  made  that  they  intended  to  advertise  "all  over 
North  America  in  publications  of  national  and  international 
circulation,  as  well  as  in  local  newspapers.  .  .  ."  Naturally 
the  laity  couldn't  be  expected  to  administer  this  treatment  by 
the  hypodermic  method  and  it  is  not  surprising  to  read  that 
•'experiment  has  proved  that  the  same  solution  can  be  taken 
internally."  In  addition  to  the  advertising  leaflet,  the  public 
also  was  provided  with  a  "pocket  calendar  good  for  200  years" 
which  contained  numerous  testimonials  from  physicians 
laudatory  of  the  "bromin-iodin"  treatment.  The  layman  who 
received  one  of  the  leaflets  was  told  that  if  he  was  suffering 
from  "asthma,  bronchitis,  colds,  consumption,  coughs,  eczema, 
goiter,  hay  fever,  neuralgia,  rheumatism  .  .  .  also  constipation 
and  kidney  troubles,"  and  his  recovery  was  "not  as  rapid  as 
it  should  be,"  should,  moreover,  his  physician  refuse  to  use 
the  bromin-iodin  compound  "it  might  not  be  a  bad  idea  to 
discharge  him"  and  get  a  physician  who  would! 

At  the  time  this  "treatment"  was  first  tried  by  its  "in- 
ventor," the  results  given  in  fifty  cases  were:  First  stage,  90 
per  cent,  cures;  second  stage,  50  per  cent,  cures;  third  stage, 
no  cures,  but  improvement  in  several  cases;  this  was  in  1895. 
It  now  appears  that  this  "treatment"  has  after  a  period  of 
"patent  medicine"  exploitation  come  back  into  the  "ethical 
proprietary"  field.  Presumably  a  mixture  such  as  that  rep- 
resented by  the  "formula"  did  not  lend  itself  to  administra- 
tion by  mouth;  there  was  nothing  to  do.  therefore,  but  enlist 
the  aid  of  "easy"  physicians  in  furthering  its  sale. — (From 
Tlie  Journal  A.  M.  A.',  June  .',,  1910.) 


CALMINE 

New  Names  for  Old  Drugs 

"Calmine,  the  new  Hypnotic."  is  another  example  of  the 
ingenuity  of  the  exploiters  of  proprietary  preparations  in 
coining  new  names  for  old  drugs  and  the  recklessness  with 
which  exploiters  herald  forth  renamed  remedies  to  the  pro- 
fession and  the  public  as  new  and  wonderful  discoveries. 

This  is  what  the  promoters,  sustained  by  a  calm  confidence 
in  the  credulity  of  the  profession,  have  to  say: 

In  the  medical  circles  throughout  the  country  a  good  deal  of 
interest  and  even  enthusiasm  over  this  new  hypnotic  is  noticeable. 


185 

Very    few    drug    products    have    attracted    so    much    attention    as 
this"  one. 

A  really  satisfactory  hypnotic  and  sleep-inducer,  which  Calmine 
certainly  seems  to  be,  has  been  awaited  expectantly  for  many  years. 
Of  course,  we  have  always  had  agents  of  this  sort — a  new  one  has 
come  out  at  frequent  intervals— but  none  of  them  have  "filled  the 
bill"  ;  they  have  been  prescribed  only  because  there  was  nothing 
bettor  to  be  had. 

Now  this  new  and  wonderful  discovery  is  nothing  but  Ver- 
onal-sodium  (sodium  diethyl-barbiturate)  under  another  name. 
It  is  the  sodium  salt  of  the  more  or  less  favorably  known 
hypnotic,  Veronal  (diethyl-barbituric  acid).  It  is  also  sold  as 
Medina!,  and  differs  from  Veronal  only  in  that  the  combina- 
tion with  sodium  has  made  it  more  readibly  soluble,  and  thus, 
it  is  claimed,  its  absorption  is  more  prompt.  Veronal  is  pro- 
tected abroad  by  a  trade-mark  and  in  this  country  by  a  patent, 
and  this,  undoubtedly,  is  responsible  for  the  introduction  of 
this  sodium  salt  under  these  fanciful  names,  because  Veronal 
could  not  be  sold  without  infringing  on  the  patent.  This  in 
turn  induced  the  manufacturers  of  Veronal,  in  self-protection, 
also  to  put  the  sodium  salt  on  the  market,  and  now  we  have 
it  under  the  name  of  Calmine.  This  probably  is  only  the 
beginning;  soon  we  may  look  for  it  under  a  host  of  other 
names  and  the  usual  result  will  follow:  thoughtless  physicians 
who  have  had  poor  results  with  it  under  one  name  will  try 
it  under  others.  Or  worse  still,  physicians  will  thoughtlessly 
combine  Veronal  with  Calmine  or  with  Medinal  in  the  same 
prescription,  thus  giving  a  dangerous  dose. — (From  The  Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  llt,  Hill.) 


CAMPHENOL 

Camphenol  is  made  by  Johnson  &  Johnson,  New  Brunswick, 
X.  J.  Under  the  name  of  the  article  on  the  carton  appears 
the  following  formula:  C10HltiO— CeH^CHjjOH^CeHsOH. 
Ihis  .formula  consists  of  the  chemical  formulas  for  camphor, 
cresol  and  phenol,  written  one  after  another,  and  from  this  one 
would  conclude  that  Camphenol  is  a  compound  of  camphor, 
phenol  and  cresol  in  molecular  proportions.  Examination 
shows,  however,  that  Camphenol  is  but  a  modification  of  the 
xvell-known  camphorated  phenol  (the  liquid  produced  when 
solid  camphor  and  phenol  are  triturated  together).  In  Cam- 
phenol  a  part  of  the  phenol,  in  the  camphorated  phenol,  has 
lii'cn  replaced  by  cresol,  and  this  liquid  has  been  diluted  and 
emulsified  with  gelatin  or  some  similar  substance  and  per- 
fumed. In  other  words,  this  preparation  is  an  emulsion  con- 
taining relatively  small  quantities  of  cresol,  phenol  and  cam- 
phor and  is  another  illustration  of  the  attempts  of  would-be 
pharmaceutical  houses  to  produce  new  synthetics  in  the  sim- 
plest manner  possible — that  of  writing  the  chemical  formulas 
of  the  constituents  of  a  remedy  in  a  way  to  indicate  a  chemical 
combination.— ffrow  Tin-  Journal  I.  .}[.  .1..  Nov.  •'>.  1910.) 


180  PROPAGANDA     FOR     KKPOKM 

CAPUDINE 

Another  of  the  Subtle  Poisons 

A  great  many  inquiries  reach  the  Association's  laboratory 
regarding  various  nostrums  and  "patent  medicines"  with 
requests  for  analyses,  but  the  number  of  preparations  thus 
brought  to  notice  is  so  great  that  it  would  take  an  army  of 
chemists  to  satisfy  all  inquiries.  As  it  is,  only  such  prepara- 
tions are  examined  as  will  serve  as  examples  of  a  class  of 
nostrums  which  it  is  desired  to  expose  or  that  are  of  special 
interest  to  the  profession.  Hick's  Capudine  Cure — or  as  it  is 
known  to  physicians  "Elixir  Capu-Hicks"— is  one  of  such 
examples,  and  its  investigation  has  been  deemed  advisable. 

MANUFACTUBERS'   CLAIMS 

The  manufacturers  —  the  Capudine  Chemical  Company, 
Raleigh,  N.  C. — issue  two  kinds  of  advertising  pamphlets— 
one  for  physicians  and  another  for  the  public.  The  medical 
profession  is  told  that  Capudine  is 

.  .  .  especially  recommended  for  the  relief  of  all  headaches, 
colds,  la  grippe,  neuralgia,  sick  headache,  nervous  headache,  acidity, 
flatulency,  and  indigestion  pains,  also  for  dysmcnorrhea,  after  pains, 
etc. 

A  formula  of  the  type  that  usually  accompanies  prepara- 
tions of  this  character  is  given : 

Elixir  Capu  is  composed  of  the  combined  Bromids  of  Potassium, 
Sodium  and  Ammonium,  Caffein,  Capu,  Elixir  Peppermint,  Adjuvants 
and  Correctives,  Syrup  and  water,  q.  s. 

To  elucidate  further  and  for  the  information  of  those  who 
have  never  heard  of  the  substance  capu,  we  are  told: 

Capu  is  a  cellulin  product — Chemical  formula  CisHsoNsC^  posses- 
sing very  powerful  analgesic  properties  and  is  a  mild  antipyretic. 

In  a  "Laundry  List"  pamphlet  extolling  the  virtues  of  the 
remedy,  the  public  are  informed  that 

Hicks'  Capudine  CURES  all  headaches,  indigestion,  la  grippe, 
colds,  etc. 

No  remedy  ever  placed  before  a  suffering  mortal  has  the  wonder 
fully  quick  powers  of  Capudine. 

Hicks'  Capudine  is  not  a  "dope"  ;  will  not  produce  a  habit. 

Try  this  splendid  remedy  and  enjoy  life  once  more. 

Capudine  is  a  liquid,  acts  immediately  and  is  sold  by  dose  at 
soda  founts,  and  in  10,  25  and  50c  bottles  at  drug  stores. 

LABORATORY    FINDINGS 

Capudine  (whether  in  the  form  of  Elixir  Capu-Hicks,  or  as 
Hicks'  Capudine  Cure)  is  a  brown,  rather  syrupy  liquid, 
slightly  alkaline  to  litmus,  with  an  aromatic  odor  and  a  salty 
taste.  Besides  8  per  cent,  of  alcohol,  Capudine  was  found  to 
contain  sugar,  aromatics,  chlorids,  caffein,  antipyrin  and  sali- 
cylates.  Quantitative  estimations  demonstrated  the  presence 
of  about  1.25  gm.  (19  grains)  of  antipyrin  and  caffein  to  each 
fluid  ounce,  and  salicylates  equivalent  to  about  0.9  gm.  (14 
grains)  of  salicylic  acid  to  each  fluid  ounce.  Thus  Capudine 
depends  for  its  action  principally  on  antipyrin. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOtiTJtUAlfi 


187 


As  a  barefaced  attempt  to  exploit,  at  the  same  time  and 
with  the  same  preparation,  both  the  medical  profession  and 
the  public,  this  nostrum  is  probably  preeminent  in  the  annals 
of  the  "patent  medicine"  business — a  business  whose  claims  to 
deceit  and  mendacity  are  already  high.  That  medical  journals 
should  aid  and  abet  such  methods  would  seem  unbelievable. 
Testimonials  are  forthcoming,  of  course.  In  the  pamphlet  to 


TRY 


CAPUDINE 


ELIXIR  CAPU- 


The  Liquid  Remedy 
FOR  The  aches  and  Nervous- 
ness of  Malaria 
NEURALGIA 
MYALGIA 
MIGRAINE 
Periodic  pains  of  women 

ANALGESIC   NOT   NARCOTIC 


CAPUDINE    CHEMICAL   CO. 
Raleigh,  N.  C. 


HICKS' 


- 

CAPUDINE 

CURES  COLDS 


Relieves  Feverishness  and  Aching. 
Soothes  the  Nerves  and  Restores 
Healthy  Conditions. 
ITS  IIQUID  —  EFFECTS  IMMEDIATELY 

Contain*   No  Acetanllide 
Me,   26o   ,*i   eta  •   belli.   il    D/*   bores 


Reproduction  (reduced)  of 
an  advertisement  to  the  public 
that  appeared  in  a  religious 
publication,  the  Baptist  Flay. 


Reproduction  (reduced)  of 
an  advertisement  of  Capudine 
In  a  medical  journal  (Medical 
Summary).  In  this  way  the 
physician  is  reached. 

the  laity,  these  come  from  the  butcher,  the  baker  and  the 
candlestick  maker,  while  in  the  "literature"  to  physicians,  at 
least  some  of  the  testimonials — "case  histories,"  if  you  please! 
— come,  it  is  needless  to  say,  from  our  old  testimonio-maniac 
friend,  W.  T.  Marrs,1  M.D.,  of  Peoria  Heights.  111.  As  Dr. 
Marrs  has  recommended,  at  various  stages  of  his  literary 
career,  such  remedies  as  Neurilla,  Antikamnia,  Bromidia, 
Chionia,  Arsenauro,  Cactina  Fillets,  Thialion,  Phenoseptine, 
Papine,  Calcidin  and  others  too  numerous  to  mention,  his 
opinion  regarding  Capudine  must  be  considered  authoritative. 
Dr.  A.  S.  Reed  of  Naples,  Maine,  also  details  a  "case  history" 
in  which  the  marvelous  results  achieved  by  the  administration 
of  Capudine  are  surpassed  only  by  the  still  more  marvelous 
spelling  and  composition  of  the  testimonial. 

In  the  lay  press  we  find  Capudine  extensively  advertised  in 
the  typical  "patent  medicine"  style.     In   the  "Laundry  List" 


1.   Sec  TUB  TOTJUNAT,,  March  14,  1907 


188  I'ROI'AdAXDA      /'V>/,'     /'/•: /•'<>/,' .17 

pamphlet,  previously  referred  to,  which  goes  direct  to  the 
public,  there  are  graphically  portrayed  some  of  the  conditions 
in  which  Capudine  is  indicated. 

For  the  purpose  of  determining  the  attitude  of  the  Capudine 
Chemical  Company  regarding  its  policy  of  combining  the 
"patent  medicine"  and  "ethical  proprietary"  business  in  one 
and  the  same  preparation,  a  Chicago  physician  wrote,  asking 
if  it  made  any  particular  difference  whether  he  wrote  a  pre- 
scription for  Elixir  Capu-Hicks  or  told  his  patients  to  go  to 
the  drug  store  and  ask  for  a  bottle  of  Hicks'  Capudine  Cure. 
The  Capudine  Chemical  Company  rose  gracefully  to  the  bait 
and  swallowed  it  hook  and  line.  The  answer,  dated  Sept.  28, 
IfllM,  is  so  ingenuous  and  enlightening  that  we  give  it  almost 
in  full.  For  the  purpose  of  emphasizing  certain  passages  we 
have  employed  italics  and  small  capitals: 

"We  use  the  name  Elixir  Capu-Hicks  so  that  Doctors 
can  write  for  it  and  have  their  prescriptions  filled  without 
the  consumer  knowing  that  it  is  the  same  thing  as  the 
advertised  product.  A  great  many  of  our  doctor  friends 
prefer  this. 

"In  regard  to  the  cost  to  the  druggist  it  is  the  same  and 
we  presume  that  MOST  DRUGGISTS  DISPENSE  CAPUDTNE  BY 

THE  DOSE  OVER  THE  COUNTER  AND  ELIXIR  CAPU-HlCKS  ON 
PRESCRIPTION  FROM  TTIE  SAME  ONE-PINT  OR  ONE-GALLON 

Though  some  of  our  drug  friends  buy  it  labeled  as  Elixir 
POTTLE  OF  CAPUDINE,  WHICH  is  PERFECTLY  ALL  RIGHT  [!  !]. 
Capu-Hicks  specially  for  their  prescription  trade." 

"Perfectly  all  right"  indeed!  Wh.it  though  you  deceive  your 
patient,  stultify  yourself  and  use  your  druggist  as  a  catspaw; 
just  so  you  increase  the  sale  of  Capudine  it  "is  perfectly  all 
right"— for  the  Capudine  Chemical  Company. 

The  formula  furnished  physicians  is,  of  course,  a  joke.  The 
various  ingredients  given — without  quantities — are.  with  the 
exceptions  of  Capu,  well-known  drugs.  Capu  is  not  so  well 
known;  in  fact,  its  circle  of  acquaintances  is  limited  to  the 
Capudine  Chemical  Company.  According  to  the  company  (and 
if  it  doesn't  know,  who  does?)  "capu  is  a  cellulin  product — 
chemical  formula  C18H20N304."  This  looks  abstruse  and  scien- 
tific, and  doubtless  in  many  cases  prevents  further  impertinent 
and  awkward  questions.  The  description  only  lacks  one  thing 
to  prevent  it  qualifying  for  an  honored  position  in  the  hall  of 
fakes — a  "structural  formula"  of  weird  and  impressive  design. 
The  great  unknown — Capu — is,  of  course,  as  the  analysis 
demonstrates,  our  old  friend  antipyrin.  On  the  "literature" 
furnished  physicians  and  on  the  advertising  distributed  to  the 
public,  great  stress  is  laid  on  the  fact  that  Capudine  "contains 
no  acetanilid."  This  puts  the  nostrum  in  that  dangerous  class 
of  "patent  medicines,"  increasingly  common  of  late,  in  which  a 
heart-depressing  drug  is  present,  but  one.  unfortunately,  which 
the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  does  not  require  to  be  specifically 


MISCELLANEOUS     \oxrifUM8  189 

naiucd  on  the  label.  Mr.  Adams,  in  the  "Great  American 
Kraud"*seriea  says,  in  speaking  of  the  labels  on  "patent  medi- 
cines:" "If  the  words  'warranted  harmless'  appear  any- 
where, look  twice  over  for  the  Ethiopian  in  the  woodpile." 
We  would  say  if  the  words  "contains  no  acetanilid"  appear 
on  the  label  of  any  "headache  cure,"  it  is  a  safe  guess  that 
some  other  equally  dangerous  heart-depressant  is  there  in  its 
place.  The  statements  that  (1)  "Hicks'  Capudine  is  not  a 
'dope'";  (2)  "does  not  contain  .  .  .  poisonous  drugs,"  and 
(3)  "will  not  produce  a  habit,"  are  three  separate  and  dis- 
tinct falsehoods.  As  to  its  "harmlessness,"  a  telegram  that 


FUNERAL  OF  MRS.  WINBURN. 

Her  Death    Was    Due   to    Overdose   of 
Capndino. 

Covington,  Ga..  September  14.— (Spe- 
cial.)—The  sudden  death  of.  Mrs.  Joe 
Win<burn,  at  Mansfield  yesterday,  was 
due  to  an  pyerdose  of  capudine  for 
periodical  headaches.  She  was  tlie  wife 
of  Rev.  Joe-  Wlnburn.  Baptist  pastor 
at  Mansfield,  and  leaves  five  small 

9, 


Reproduction  from  the  Atlanta  (Ga.)  Constitution,  Sept.  15,  1908, 
which  gives  the  lie  direct  to  the  statement  that  Capudine  "does 
not  contain  poisonous  drugs." 

appeared  in  the  Atlanta  (Ga.)  Constitution,  which  we  repro- 
duce, refutes  briefly  but  tragically,  this  cruel  lie.  Dr.  E.  W. 
Warren,  of  Palatka,  Fla.,  reports  the  case  of  a  woman  who 
was  thought  to  have  been  murdered,  but  the  state's  attorney 
concluded  that  her  death  was  caused  by  too  much  Capudine. 

And  this  hybrid  "  'patent  medicine'-proprietary"  is  to  be 
found  advertised  in  medical  journals!  How  much  longer  will 
the  medical  profession  put  up  with  it? — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  17,  1908.) 


THE    CHOLOGEN    TREATMENT    FOR    GALL-STONES 

The  proprietary  Chologen  is  interesting  some  of  our  readers 
and  several  have  sent  us  samples  and  literature.  Dr.  Philip 
Marvel,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  for  example,  writes: 

"By  the  way,  I  am  to-day  sending  you  by  mail  a  package 
which  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  may  care  to 
tackle,  or  it  may  not.  I  shall  not  be  insulted  any  way,  but 
since  these  chologen  preparations  are  being  used  a  good  deal 
by  various  globe  trotters,  who  sometimes  hook  up  for  a  short 
stay  here,  I  feel  it  might  be  of  some  interest  to  know  'what 
fools  these  mortals  bo'  and  how  much  the  profession  is  being 
fooled  with  them." 


1!)0  PROPAGANDA     FOlf     REFORM 

(Jhologen  as  a  medical  treatment  for  "all-stones  has  been 
before  the  German  public  for  a  number  of  years,  and  it  is 
somewhat  singular  that  so  simple  a  method,  which  could  be 
easily  prescribed  by  the  physician  if  it  had  merit,  should 
exhibit  such  remarkable  vitality  in  proprietary  form  in  spite 
of  evidence  going  to  show  that  it  rests  on  erroneous  princi 
pies.  The  Council  rejected  it  as  an  unscientific  mixture. 
The  treatment  is  >  somewhat  liberal,  consisting  of  the  use, 
in  varying  successions,  of  three  kinds  of  tablets:  No.  1, 
calomel  and  podophyllin;  No.  2,  calomel,  and  No.  3,  calomel, 
podophyllin,  camphor  and  menthol.  The  proprietors  tell  us 
that  the  treatment  should  be  proceeded  with  in  spite  of  dis- 
turbances, such  as  diarrhea  and  pain  in  the  abdomen,  and 
that  it  should  be  repeated  regularly  at  intervals  for  some 
years,  so  long  as  any  trouble  exists  or  recurrence  is  threat- 
ened. "A  course"  of  Chologen  tablets  should  be  taken  two  or 
three  times  a  year,  No.  1  being  given  for  ten  days,  then  Nos 
1  and  2  for  forty  days  and  No.  3  for  ten  days. 

It  is  worthy -of  note  that  experimental  work  seems  to  have 
been  performed  in  the  attempt  to  show  that  bile  produced  by 
this  remedy  will  cause  the -disintegration  and  solution  of  gall- 
stones. Normal  bile  has  a  certain  solvent  action  on  gall-stones, 
but  calomel  and  podophyllin  have  no  demonstrable  effect  in 
increasing  the  amount  of  bile.  We  had  imagined  that  these 
facts  were  generally  known. 

It  is  somewhat  discouraging  to  reflect  that  some  physicians 
entertain  so  low  an  estimate  of  their  ability  to  prescribe  such 
well-known  remedies  as  calomel  and  podophyllin  that  they 
must  use  them  in  the  fixed  combinations  provided  by  Dr. 
Glaser.  If  the  self-respecting  physician  does  not  consider  him- 
self insulted  by  a  proprietary  manufacturer  who  presumes  to 
tell  him  how  to  use  such  well-known  remedies,  this  is  a  good 
sign  that  he  needs  to  take  a  postgraduate  course  in  materia 
medica  and  elementary  prescription-writing.  We  feel  that 
medical  writers  must  be  short  of  subjects  when  they  devote 
papers  to  the  exploitation  of  proprietaries  consisting  of  these 
simple  ingredients. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  1, 
1913.) 


DANIEL'S   CONCENTRATED   TINCTURE   OF   PASSIFLORA 
INCARNATA 

Curious  Pharmacologic  Action  of  May-Pop   (Passiflora  Incar- 

nata) 

In  perusing  the  "literature"  of  some  of  the  fearfully  and 
wonderfully  made  proprietary  mixtures  on  the  market  one  is 
uncertain  whether  the  attitude  of  their  manufacturers  is  "We 
aim  to  please"  or  one  of  "Heads  we  win,  tails  you  lose."  The 
uncanny  elasticity  of  pharmacologic  action  in  proprietaries  of 
(ho  iypn  inferred  to  is  the  cause  of  this  uncertainty.  For 


MISCELLANEOUS     .\O,s"/'/,V   l/x  191. 

instance,  we  find  that  both  amenorrhea  and  menorrliagia  arc 
amenable  to  the  same  remedy  and  it  is  nothing  unusual  for 
a  nostrum  to  be  both  a  stimulant  and  a  sedative. 

We  are  reminded  of  this  fact  in  perusing  the  "literature" 
of  Daniel's  Concentrated  Tincture  of  Passiilora  Incarnata, 
a  proprietary  marketed  by  J.  13.  Daniel,  Atlanta,  Ga.  Ac- 
cording to  the  booklet  this  remedy  is  to  be  employed  in  both 
convulsions  and  paralysis.  Unlike  many  nostrums  the  pro- 
prietor claims  to  base  his  recommendations  on  exact  phar- 
macologic  investigations  of  which  he  produces  two  brands; 
the  doubting  physician  pays  his  money  and  takes  his  choice. 
If  he  has  a  case  of  convulsion  let  him  consult  the  laboratory 
report  of  Dr.  Isaac  Ott,  who  tells  us  that  "in  Passiflora  In- 
carnata we  have  a  drug  of  considerable  power  producing  a  de- 
pressant action  on  the  reflex  activity  of  the  spinal  cord."  If, 
OP  the  other  hand,  the  physician  has  a  case  of  paralysis  to 
deal  with  he  should  turn  over  the  page  and  take  the  authority 
of  the  certificate  of  the  "lamatological  Bureau"  which  states, 
"it  notably  exalts  the  reflex  function  of  the  spinal  cord." 

Let  the  doctor  in  search  of  a  hypnotic  that  is  not  a  hyp- 
notic and  a  powerful  remedy  that  "does  not  endanger  the 
heart"  take  his  choice  between  these  two  contradictory  actions. 
It  is  all  the  same  to  the  nostrum  maker  so  long  as  the  doctor 
uses  his  "only  reliable  preparation  of  May-Pop"  for  all  cases, 
every  time  and  all  the  time. 

But,  seriously,  isn't  it  about  time  that  such  opera  bouffe 
methods  of  presenting  medicinal  agents  to  physicians  should 
be  resented  by  the  medical  profession?  Disease  itself  is  a 
serious  thing  and  the  treatment  of  disease  is  no  trifling  mat- 
ter. The  attempt  to  induce  physicians  to  use  a  preparation 
by  investing  it  with  incongruously  contradictory  virtues 
neither  flatters  the  intelligence  of  the  medical  profession  nor 
invests  pharmacy  with  any  degree  of  dignity. — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  9,  1909.) 


HAGEE'S    CORDIAL    OF    COD-LIVER    OIL 

Fraud    and    Deception    Connected    with    So-Called    Cod-Liver 

Oil  Preparations 

The  introduction  of  cod-liver  oil  as  a  supposedly  easily 
assimilable  nutrient  and  reconstructive  was  followed  by  its 
extensive  use  in  wasting  diseases,  especially  in  phthisis,  in  the 
treatment  of  which  it  came  to  be  considered  almost  essential, 
as  it  was  supposed  to  possess  some  mysterious  power  different 
from  that  of  other  oils.  Its  unpalatable  character  led  to  vari- 
ous devices  to  render  it  tasteless  and  to  make  it  more  accept- 
able to  the  stomach.  Emulsions  containing  the  oil  in  mixture 
with  other  substances  were  put  on  the  market  and  served  a 
useful  purpose.  But  the  oily. nature,  imperfectly  concealed, 
was  disagreeable  to  many,  and  gradually  other  preparations 


ii)-2  pRf)i:\<;  \.\n\     roit    it K WHIM 

appeared  which  attempted  to  retain  the  supposed  tliL-rapentii.- 
virtues  of  cod-liver  oil  while  dispensing  with  its  disagreeable 
character.  This  attempt  has  IKMMI  carried  to  the  extreme  that 
in  many  of  the  cod-liver  oil  preparations  now  on  the  market 
the  oil  has  been  entirely  eliminated  and  all  that  is  left  of  the 
oil  is  the  name.  This  is  a  species  of  fraud  which  has  been 
tolerated  too  long,  but  which  will  be  kept  up  so  long  as  physi- 
cians are  willing  to  be  duped.  Some  of  these  articles  are  said 
to  "represent"  the  oil  and  to  possess  all  its  virtues.  Others  are 
said  to  contain  oil,  while  still  others  are  stated  to  contain  "all 
the  valuable  constituents."  What  is  the  standard  by  which 
we  may  determine  the  true  value  of  these  preparations  and 
by  which  we  may  determine  whether  or  not  we,  and  through 
us  our  patients,  are  being  humbugged? 

A   FOOD   OR  MEDICINE — WHICH  ''. 

Is  cod-liver  oil  to  be  considered  a  food  or  a  medicine?  A 
food,  certainly.  As  a  food  its  value  will  consist  in  the  fats  it 
contains.  These  fats  are  more  easily  oxidizable  and  are  con- 
sidered more  digestible  than  other  fats  because  of  the  presence 
of  compounds  derived  from  the  liver  which  favor  its  emulsiii- 
cation  and  enable  it  to  penetrate  the  mucous  membrane  more 
easily  than  other  fats.  Aside  from  their  nutrient  properties 
we  have  no  evidence  that  the  fats  of  cod-liver  oil  possess  any 
therapeutic  value;  if  the  oil  possesses  therapeutic  qualities 
they  must  reside  in  its  non-fatty  constituents,  and  the  activity 
of  these  non-fatty  constituents  is  not  acknowledged  by  those 
who  have  investigated  them  scientifically.  Most  pharmacol- 
ogists believe  that  whatever  virtue  there  is  in  cod-liver  oil 
depends  on  its  qualities  as  an  easily  assimilable  fat. 

On  the  whole,  we  must  conclude  with  Cushny  that  "cod-liver 
oil  has  not  been  shown  to  have  any  action  apart  from  that  of 
an  easily  digested  food,  and  its  superiority  to  some  other 
fats  and  oils  has  not  been  satisfactorily  established." 

If,  then,  the  value  of  cod-liver  oil  depends  on  the  presence 
of  fat  as  its  nutritive  constituent,  the  amount  of  fat  a  prepa- 
ration contains  will  determine  the  worth  or  worthlessness  of 
such  a  preparation;  at  all  events,  a  preparation  claiming  to 
represent  cod-liver  oil  which  does  not  contain  fat  in  some  form 
is  fraudulent. 

HOW  TO  PROVE  OR  DISPROVE  THE  PRESENCE  OF  COD-LIVER  OIL 

Fats  may  be  changed  to  fatty  acids  or  to  soaps,  as  occurs 
under  the  influence  of  pancreatic  juice  in  digestion,  and  still 
retain  their  nutritive  value,  but  it  is  not  possible  to  manipu- 
late them  in  any  way  so  that  they  are  still  valuable  as  food, 
and  yet  do  not  respond  to  easily  applied  chemical  tests  which 
demonstrate  their  fatty  nature. 

Any  preparation  of  cod-liver  oil  in  which  fat  or  fatty  acid  is 
not  recognizable  by  proper  tests  is  valueless  as  food,  since  its 
food  value  depends  on  the  amount  of  fat  or  fatty  arid  present. 


193 

An  elementary  knowledge  of  rhemistry  ami  the  application  of 
a  few  simple  tests  will  enable  any  physician  to  learn  for  him- 
self whether  or  not  a  preparation  contains  fat  or  fatty  acids. 
The  preparations  claiming  to  "represent"  cod-liver  oil  are  in 
liquid  form,  and  if  they  contain  oil  it  must  be  one  of  the 
following  forms: 

1.  An  emulsion  of  the  oil  which  may  be  miscible  with  water, 
but  from  which  the  fat  tends  to  separate  and  rise  to  the  top. 
In    this    form    the    fat    can    be    seen    as    globules    under    the 
microscope. 

2.  A  solution,  resulting  from  the  saponification  of  the  oil, 
containing  a  soap  which  usually  will  be  alkaline  in  reaction, 
especially  when  mixed  with  water,  and  from  which  fatty  acids 
are  separated  as  a  precipitate  when  the  solution  is  acidified. 

:>.  A  solution  of  fatty  acids.  This  will  be  acid  in  reaction 
and  will  be  precipitated  by  the  addition  of  water,  in  which  the 
fatty  acids  are  not  soluble. 

Hagee's   Cordial   of  Cod-Liver  Oil 

Hagee's  Cordial  of  Cod-Liver  Oil  Compound  is  said  to  "rep- 
resent 33  per  cent,  of  pure  Norwegian  cod-liver  oil,"  with 
other  ingredients,  in  perfect  solution.  It  is  also  claimed, 
according  to  the  advertising  pamphlet,  that  "in  this  prepara- 
tion we  have  every  beneficial  constituent  of  the  best  and  purest 
Norwegian  cod-liver  oil."  Put  to  the  above  three  tests,  how- 
ever, Hagee's  cordial  of  cod-liver  oil  is  not,  1.  an  emulsion  of 
cod-liver  oil;  2,  is  not  a  saponification  of  cod-liver  oil;  and, 
3,  does  not  contain  fatty  acids.  It,  therefore,  contains  no  cod- 
liver  oil.  The  only  nutrients  in  the  mixture,  revealed  by 
analysis,  are  sugar,  alcohol  and  glycerin,  none  of  which  is 
contained  in  cod-liver  oil. 

In  this  case  the  manufacturer  misleads  by  the  use  of  the 
word  "represents";  he  is  careful  not  to  say  "contains," 
although  the  average  reader  would  not  be  apt  to  notice  the 
nice  distinction.  The  manufacturer  unwittingly  admits  that 
it  contains  no  oil  when  he  says  that  it  "contains  everything 
of  value  except  the  grease."  What  else  there  is  of  value  in 
cod-liver-oil  besides  the  "grease"  we  do  not  know.  Certainly, 
if  we  estimate  the  value  of  the  remedy  by  its  nutrient  proper- 
ties, it  must  be  set  down  as  practically  worthless,  if  not 
fraudulent,  for  although  a  mixture  of  sugar,  alcohol  and  gly- 
cerin does  possess  certain  nutrient  value,  the  materials  can  be 
purchased  for  it  far  more  cheaply  in  the  open  market.  It 
is  evident  that  claims  are  made  for  this  preparation  which 
cannot  he  substantiated. 

Again,  some  of  the  so-called  cod-liver  oil  preparations  are 
termed  extracts  of  cod-liver  oil,  but  are  not  in  fact  made  from 
the  oil,  but  from  the  cod-livers  instead.  They  are  prepara- 
tions which,  if  honestly  made,  might  be  worthy  of  trial,  but 
they  are  improperly  called  "extracts"  of  cod-livor  oil.  since 


194  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

they  do  not  contain  the  fat,  which  is  the  active  constituent  of 
the  oil,  but  the  extractives  from  the  liver  which  may  or  may 
not  possess  therapeutic  virtues.  So  far  as  we  know,  however, 
no  satisfactory  evidence  is  forthcoming  to  indicate  that  such 
extractives  have  any  therapeutic  value. 

The  attempt  to  modify  cod-liver  oil  for  therapeutic  purposes 
may  be  pronounced  a  failure  and  the  large  variety  and  exten- 
sive sale  of  these  preparations  appear  to  be  owing  to  the  fact 
that  physicians  do  not  recall  the  ordinary  facts  of  chemistry 
and  fail  to  apply  simple  tests  with  little  technical  skill,  but 
too  readily  accept  as  facts  the  statements  of  the  manufactur- 
ers.— (Modified  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  13,  1906.) 


DUFFY'S    MALT    WHISKEY 
"Patent  Medicine"  or  Poor  Liquor — Which? 

What  is  this  widely  advertised  fraud,  sold  as  a  "consumption 
cure,"  claimed  to  be  the  "greatest  known  heart  tonic"  and  a 
preparation  that  "builds  up  the  nerve  tissues,  tones  up  the 
heart,  gives  strength  and  elasticity  to  the  muscles  and  rich- 
ness to  the  blood?"  The  answer  to  this  question  will  be  found 
to  depend,  apparently,  on  when  it  is  asked. 

During  the  Spanish-American  war  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey 
qualified  as  a  "patent  medicine"  by  the  payment  of  the  special 
tax  that  was  put  on  nostrums  as  a  means  of  raising  revenue. 
In  a  circular  issued  at  that  time  by  the  Treasury  Department 
it  was  stated: 

"The  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Company  have,  by  evidence  under  oath 
filed  in  this  office,  shown  that  their  compound  called  'Duffy's  Pure 
Malt  Whiskey'  is  composed  of  distilled  spirits  in  combination  with 
drugs.  ..." 

On  the  other  hand,  even  while  the  Federal  Government  was 
declaring  the  stuff  a  "medicine,"  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
state  of  New  York  decided  that  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  was  not 
a  medicine  but  a  liquor  and  that  persons  selling  it  would  be 
required  to  pay  the  same  excise  tax  and  to  procure  the  same 
liquor-tax  certificate  that  were  required  of  the  sellers  of  any 
other  whiskey.  The  way  in  which  the  New  York  courts  came 
to  pass  on  this  question  is  an  interesting  chapter  in  "patent 
medicine"  history. 

THE   PAXSON   CASE 

A  New  York  City  druggist  named  Paxson  sold  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey  without  first  having  paid  the  liquor  license.  The  New 
York  state  excise  department  proceeded  against  the  druggist 
for  so  doing.  Paxson's  defense  was  that  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey 
was  not  a  liquor  but  a  medicine  and  it  was,  therefore,  not  sub- 
ject to  the  liquor  laws  of  the  state  of  New  York.  When  the 
case  came  to  trial,  the  New  York  authorities  called  as  wit- 
nesses three  chemists,  Dr.  Joseph  De  Guehuee,  Dr.  Charles  A. 
Crampton  and  Dr.  Edward  W.  Wheeler. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  195 

WHAT  THE   CHEMISTS   FOUND 

Dr.  De  Guehuee,  who  at  that  time  was  chief  chemist  in  the 
Health  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York,  testified  that  he 
had  analyzed  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  and  he  reported  in  part: 
"I  found  the  contents  of  the  bottle  to  be  whiskey,  with 
a    little    cane   sugar   added   to    it,   a   sweetened   whiskey 
.     .     .     I    found    no    other    ingredients.     My    examination 
would    have    revealed    any    other    ingredients    present    in 
quantities  sufficient  to  be  determined  by  chemical  anal- 
ysis." 

Dr.  Crampton,  the  chief  chemist  of  the  Internal  Revenue 
Bureau  of  the  Treasury  Department  in  Washington,  reported 
his  results  in  part  as  follows: 

"I  have  made  an  examination  of  the  substance  known 
as  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  ...  I  found  it  contained 
no  medicinal  ingredients  outside  of  the  alcohol  in  the 
whiskey.  ...  It  is  whiskey  of  a  very  poor  quality 
as  a  beverage  .  .  .  it  is  not  whiskey  which,  according 
to  the  pharmacopeial  standard  has  been  aged.  .  .  . 
The  taste  of  this  bottle  is  indicative  of  a  rather  poor 
quality  of  whiskey,  what  is  known  as  young  whiskey  or 
raw  whiskey;  it  has  not  the  full  flavor  and  aroma  of  an 
whiskey." 


DUFFY'S  PURE  MALT  WHISKEY 

CURBS      CONSUMPTION. 

All  druggists  ami  grocers,  $1  a  bottle.   Medical  book* 
let  free.     Duffy  Malt  WWskey  Co..  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


The  claim  made  by  the  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Co.  that  their 
nostrum  "cures  consumption"  is  as  false  as  it  is  cruel. 

Dr.  Wheeler,  a  chemist  of  the  New  York  state  Department 
of  Agriculture,  testified  that  he  had  analyzed  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey: 

"In  my  opinion,  there  is  no  appreciable  drug  or  med- 
icine in  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey.  There  was  about  1  per 
cent,  of  solids  in  the  bottle  which  I  analyzed.  The  solid 
was  largely  sugar.  There  was  coloring  matter." 

WHAT    THE    DUFFY    PEOPLE    CLAIMED 

The  courts  assessed  against  Paxson  a  judgment  of  more  than 
$700.  Paxson  then  appealed  the  case  to  the  New  York  Supreme 
Court,  which  refused  to  set  the  judgment  aside  and  assessed 
him  further  costs  for  the  refusal.  Then  the  Duffy  Malt 
Whiskey  people  showed  their  hand.  They  took  up  the  matter 
and  a  motion  for  a  new  trial  was  argued  on  the  ground  that 
new  and  important  evidence  had  been  found.  In  affidavits  sub- 
mitted by  the  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Company,  Clarence  E. 


196  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM. 

Sherin,   president  of   the  concern,   declared  that  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey  contained,  in  addition  to  alcohol,  the  following  drugs: 

Fluid  extract  calumba  (columbo) 
Fluid  extract  hydrastis  (golden  seal) 
Fluid  extract  pareira  (Pareira  Brava) 
Fluid  extract  taraxacum  (dandelion). 

Dr.  Richard  Curran,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  declared  under  oath : 

"That  he  personally  prepares  the  tincture  made  from  the  follow- 
ing drags,  viz.  :  Fluid  Extract  Calumba  (Columbo),  Fluid  Extract 
Hydrastis  (Golden  Seal),  Fluid  Extract  Pareira  (Pareira  Brava), 
Fluid  Extract  Taraxacum  (Dandelion),  under  direction  of  the 
Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Company,  which  tincture  he  knows  to  be  used 
in  the  preparation  of  the  medicinal  compound  known  as  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey.  His  knowledge  that  these  medicinal  agents  are 
used  is  because  of  the  fact  that  he  personally  delivers  the  same  to 
Walter  J.  Duffy,  vice-president  of  the  Rochester  Distilling  Com- 
pany." 

He  further  declared: 

"That  he  himself  personally  makes  the  medicinal  tincture,  and 
from  his  own  knowledge,  says  that  the  character  of  the  product  and 
its  effect  on  the  system  is  in  marked  contrast  with  any  straight 
whiskey  ;  in  fact,  he  regards  it  as  a  whiskey  in  name  only  ;  a  med- 
icine of  the  greatest  value,  in  fact." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  amounts  of  the  drugs  alleged  to 
be  put  in  the  whiskey  are  not  given.  Further  affidavits  were 
filed  in  the  case  from  several  Rochester  physicians  each  of 
whom  had  some  words  of  praise  for  this  stuff. 

SOME    SWORN   TESTIMONIALS 

DR.  WILLIAM  B.  CONNER  regarded  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  "as  a 
valuable  curative  agent"  which  he  had  "had  occasion  to  use 
.  .  .  in  his  practice.'' 

DR.  W.  HOBART  CURTIS  affirmed  that  "the  effect  of  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is  different  from  that  of  any  other  whis- 
key. .  .  ." 

DR.  EDWIN  S.  HAYWARD,  JR.,  swore  that  he  considered  the 
stuff  "a  medicine  of  widely  acknowledged  value"  and  that  it 
has  been  his  habit  to  prescribe  it  "in  cases  where  the  activities 
have  been  at  low  ebb." 

DR.  HARRY  M.  SCHALL  declared  under  oath  that  "on 
numerous  occasions  he  has  used  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  in 
his  practice." 

DR.  J.  SHERBURNE  READ  declared  that  "Duffy's  Pure  Malt 
Whiskey  has  been  used  and  prescribed  by  him  for  a  number  of 
years."  Incidentally  it  may  be  mentioned  that  Dr.  Read  at 
present  is  the  "director"  of  the  Okola  Laboratory,  a  fraudulent 
mail-order  medical  concern  operated  by  the  Neal-Adkin  syndi- 
cate. 

DR.  GEORGE  W.  GOLER,  who  at  that  time  was  health  officer 
of  the  city  of  Rochester,  declared  that  he  "has  been  informed 
of  the  drugs  used  in  medicating  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey 
and  with  this  information  and  his  knowledge  of  the  power  of 
such  drugs,  he  is  free  to  say  that  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
the  medicines  so  employed  substantially  transform  the  liquor 


MI8CELLA.\K(>rs     NOSTRUMS  197 

from  the  condition  of  being  purely  a  whiskey  to  a  medicated 
compound." 

DR.  JOHN  A.  STAPLETON  deposed  that  "he  was  made 
acquainted  with  the  method  of  medicating  Duffy's  Pure  Malt 
Whiskey  and  the  drugs  employed  for  the  purpose"  and  was 
"of  the  opinion  that  the  liquor  during  such  medication  under- 
goes a  decided  change/' 

DK.  J.  J.  A.  BUBKE  swore  that  "he  was  aware  from  the 
beginning  that  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  was  being  medi- 
cated" and  further  that  he  "knew  of  the  ingredients  employed 
for  the  purpose  and  thought  them  good." 

DR.  RICHARD  M.  MOORE  declared  that  he  was  "convinced  that 
the  liquor  can  no  longer  be  considered  a  stimulant  pure  and 
simple,  but  a  medicated  combination  by  the  solvent  power  of 
alcohol."  [Italics  ours.— ED.] 

DR.  WILLIAM  M.  BARROX  stated  that  "he  knows  the  remedies 
employed  in  medicating  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey"  and 
"unhesitatingly  considers  that  this  whiskey  is  changed  in  a 
marked  degree  by  the  introduction  of  these  drugs." 

Thus  did  these  Rochester  physicians  solemnly  declare  that 
Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  was  a  "patent  medicine"  and  not  a 
cheap  whiskey.  Nevertheless,  the  analyses  made  by  three 
chemists,  working  independently,  conclusively  proved  that  there 
were  no  drugs  present  in  sufficient  quantities  to  be  demonstrable 
by  chemical  analysis!  Again  it  should  be  noted  that  while  the 
Duffy  concern  swore  that  drugs  were  put  into  its  whiskey, 
it  was  careful  to  avoid  giving  any  information  regarding 
the  quantities  of  the  drugs  that  were  alleged  to  be  added. 

The  state  chemists  of  North  Dakota  subjected  this  product 
to  chemical  analysis  and  in  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Report 
for  1906  declared: 

"Analysis  indicates  it  to  be  nothing  more  than  neutral 
spirits,  colored  and  flavored.  The  amount  of  solids  is  high 
because  it  has  syrup  added  to  make  it  'smooth'  and  give 
it  flavor." 

POLITICAL    INFLUENCE    PROTECTS    A   FRAUD 

For  years,  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  has  gone  out  to  the  public 
with  the  most  flagrantly  false  and  fraudulent  claims  made  for 
it  on  the  wrapper  around  the  bottle.  The  government  officials 
finally  took  action  and  in  1908  a  quantity  of  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey  was  seized  on  the  charge  of  being  adulterated  and 
misbranded  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act.  What  happened? 
It  appears  that  the  Hon.  James  Breck  Perkins,  member  of 
Congress  from  Rochester,  at  once  "got  busy." 

At  the  time  of  the  prosecution  by  the  state  of  New  York,  Mr. 
Perkins  was  attorney  for  the  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Qompany 
and  it  was  he  who  filed  the  brief  in  behalf  of  the  company  in 
support  of  the  motion  for  a  new  trial.  Mr.  Perkins,  at  that 
time,  was  apparently  highly  incensed  by  the  activities  of  the 
state  authorities  against  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey.  In  closing 
his  brief  at  that  time.  Mr.  Perkins  expressed  himself  thus: 


198 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


•"It  does  not  seem  to  me  that  the  officers  who  represent  the  state 
In  any  proceeding,  and  certainly  not  in  criminal  proceedings,  are 
required  to  exhibit  so  extreme  a  zeal." 

Apparently  zeal,  in  a  public  officer  acting  against  large 
vested  interests,  however  fraudulent,  is  something  that  Mr. 
Perkins  would  not  tolerate.  It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that 
when  the  Department  of  Agriculture  seized  a  large  consign- 
ment of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey,  Congressman  Perkins  should 
rush  to  the  rescue.  The  inci- 


prsr?.,,,;,.  ^rlLTSTS" 

i«< 

dent  was  described  somewhat 
fully  by  Collier's  at  the  time 

Consumption  Cured  — 
Gained  45  Pounds 

n 

LI 
f* 

According  to  that  paper,  Per- 
kins wrote  his  first  letter  on 

t.. 

A. 

the  official   stationery  of  the 
House  Committee  on  Foreign 

»r 

rh 

Affairs    of    which    committee 
he   was   a    member.      It   read 

b 

in  part: 

'    '^SL-A-     / 

r- 

"The     Duffy     Malt     Whiskey 

J^ 

oSlajfed 

::. 
H 

Company     ...     is  controlled 
by  our  most  prominent  and  lead- 
ing citizens  and  I  trust  matters 
can  be  adjusted  in  such  a  icay 

lished  industry." 

MR.'EMIL  T.  SHERBERT 

L 

He   wrote   a    second   letter, 

Ludington,     Mich.     (Special):     "Two 
years  agol  consulted  19  physicians  and 

s 

it    is    claimed,    this    time    on 

f.ch  and  every  one  informed  me  that 
had  about  six  months  to  live,  being 

I" 

the   official   stationery   of  the 

badly     affected     with     tuberculosis.    I 
...tarttd  using  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whis- 

J 

Printing   Committee.     In   ad- 

key for   relief  at   th»  suggestion  of  a 
mend,  and  to-day  I  am  entirely  cured. 

K 

dition,    letters    were    written 

and  I  know  it  is  because  of  this  medi- 
.-ine.  as  I  took  nothing  else.    When  I 
-Urted  using  it  I  weighed   139  pounds, 
and  to-day  I  weigh  1W  pounds.>r-EmU 

t 

s 

by    various    other    prominent 
politicians    of    western    New 

'in  1860—  inore  than  half  a  century  ago 
tije   fonnuia    of    Duffy's    Pure    Malt 

J 

York    and    a    dozen    personal 

Whiskey  was  discovered.    It  was  also  dis- 

1 

visits    were    made    to    Wash- 

igent ia  the  treatment  of  tuberculosis, 
pneumonia,   grip,    coughs,   colds,   other 

! 

ington.     No  less  than  six  dif- 

Ihroat  and   lung   troubles,   and   in   all 

« 

ferent  officers  of  the  Depart- 

tttjr ol  an  article  that  has  been  before 
the  public   for  such   a   length   of   time 

i 

ment  of  Agriculture  are  said 

cannot    be    questioned.     Its    fame    has 
spread   the  world  over,  and  it  stands 

to  have  been  written  to.     The 

o-day    the   most  celebrated   and   most 
successful  medicine  known. 

hearing   was    postponed    time 

Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  l»  the 
only  whiskey  that  wasjaied  by  the 

K 

and    again.      Finally,    it  was 

Government  as  a  medicine  during  the 
Spanish-American  war. 

,f 

set    for    a    definite    date    but 

The    genuine    is    sold    IN    SEALED 
BOTTLES    ONLY    by    all    druggists 

| 

before    that    time   arrived    it 

grocers  and  dealers,  or  direct  $1.00  per 
hrze  bottle.  . 

was    again   postponed.      This, 

Th«  Duffy  Mali  WbUkey  Co  .  Rochester,  N.Y 

it   must   be    remembered   was 

in  1908.   In  the  latter  months 

Wh0ifskeCyOUneeverDUcffUyred  *U?.        of    1910,    THE    JOURNAL    at- 

Sherbert,    nor    anybody    else,        tempted    to    get    some    infor- 

of  consumption.                              mation    regarding   the   status 

of  the  case.     We  were  told  that  the  case  was  still  pending. 
It  is  now  almost  1913  and  so  far  as  we  can   learn   the  case 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  199 

is  stil!  pending!     Collier's,  in  closing  its  article  regarding  this 
disgraceful  piece  of  political  activity,  says: 

"Consider,  now,  one  question:  Was  Perkins  paid  for  what  he 
did  ?  Did  he  make  that  long  hot  trip  from  Rochester  to  Wash- 
ington the  night  of  July  16 — Congress  not  being  in  session — 
from  motives  of  public  duty,  or  did  he  get  money  for  it?  If  he 
got  money  he  is  guilty  of  exactly  the  same  crime  as  that  for 
which  Senator  Burton  of  Kansas  went  to  the  penitentiary.  For 
the  immediate  activity  of  the  Secret  Service  men  there  is  no 
more  pressing  need  than  the  investigation  of  whatever  checks 
may  have  passed  during  the  last  eight  months  from  the  Roches- 
ter manufacturers  of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  (Walter  J.  Duffy, 
president)  to  the  Rochester  law  firm  of  Perkins,  Duffy  & 
McLean  ( this  latter  Duffy  being  J.  P.,  son  of  Walter  J. ) . 

"But  whether  Congressman  Perkins  has  been  guilty  of  a 
crime  is  not  the  point  of  this  article.  What  is  important  is  to 
let  all  the  people  know  how  necessary  is  their  constant  vigilance 
and  support  to  see  that  the  Pure  Food  Law  is  carried  out.  If 
you  were  an  obscure  subordinate  in  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture or  the  Department  of  Justice,  if  you  had  no  motive  to 
proceed  against  a  swindling  patent  medicine  or  an  adulterated 
food  except  your  own  conscience,  if  your  first  move  met  with 
personal  protest  from  the  congressman  who  controlled  your 
salary,  your  promotion,  and  your  official  existence,  how  soon 
would  you  grow  tired?  The  enforcement  of  the  pure  food  law 
needs  all  the  encouragement  and  enthusiasm  that  the  public 
can  contribute;  there  is  no  trouble  about  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  opposition — that  is  a  matter  of  dollars  and  cents,  and  it  is 
working  twenty-four  hours  a  day." 

"DUFFY'S  ANNUAL" 

Every  bottle  of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  is  wrapped  in  a  large 
circular  called  "Duffy's  Annual."  This  "Annual"  consists, 
largely,  of  testimonials  from  laymen  and  physicians.  We  have 
on  file  one  issued  in  1901  and  another  issued  in  1911.  There  are 
noticeable  differences  between  the  two  circulars.  In  the  earlier 
annual  much  is  made  of  the  statement  that  Duffy's  Malt  Whis- 
key contains  no  fusel  oil;  nothing  is  said  on  this  point  in  the 
later  circular.  The  1901  issue  comes  out  frankly  with  the  false- 
hood that  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  "cures  consumption,"  etc. 
In  the  1911  circular  the  "lie  direct"  has  given  place  to  the  "lie 
with  circumstance."  The  earlier  circular  contains  a  long  testi- 
monial from  Willard  H.  Morse  and  the  Duffy  company  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  testimonial  adds: 

"Dr.  Morse  is  not  only  an  M.D.  and  an  F.S.Sc.,  but  is  a  well- 
known  therapeutist  and  a  consulting  chemist ,  of  national  reputa- 
tion." 

The  facts  are  that  Willard  H.  Morse  is  a  professional  testi- 
monial writer  who  has  issued  fake  analytical  reports  for  some 
of  the  biggest  frauds  on  the  American  market.  The  title 
"F.S.Sc."  is  one  that  is  given — price  $5  (1  guinea) — by  a 
fraudulent  organization  in  London  that  styles  itself  the  Society 


200 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


of  Science,  Letters  and  Art.     This  title  is  very  popular  with 
"patent-medicine"  fakers. 

The  earlier  "Annual"  recommends  Duffy's  dope  for  "painful 
and  irregular  periods" — pathologic  states  about  which  the  later 
one  says  nothing.  The  1911  circular  "features"  a  testimonial 
from  the  "Hon.  Richard  Curran,  M.D.,  formerly  mayor  of 


Consumption  Cured; 

Gained  25  Pounds 


The  Lwctor  Diagnosed  the  Case  as  Tuberculosis 
When  Mrs.  Fleming  Was  So  Weak  and  Run- 
Down  She  Wasn't  Able  to  Do  Any  Work- 
Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey,  the  World's  Great- 
est Medicine,  Cured  Her  and  Built  Up  Her 
Health  and  Strength— Her  Weight  Has  In- 

'•• 


Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey 

mdMJlitfci,  of  grain  entirely  m, 


Another    consumption-cure    advertisement    of    the    testimonial    type. 

Rochester."  This  testimonial  may  carry  weight  with  those 
who  do  not  know  that  Dr.  Richard  Curran  is  in  the  employ  of 
the  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  Co.  He  it  was,  as  we  have  shown, 
who  testified  in  May,  1905,  that  he  prepared  the  various  drugs 
which  were  put  in  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey.  But  we  have  on  file 
a  letter  written  in  1910  by  Dr.  Curran — and  written  on  the 
stationery  of  the  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Company — in  which  he 
declares : 

"Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is  not  a  patent  medicine,  but  a 
refined  medicinal  whiskey,  made  from  choice  materials  and  complies 
with  the  test  requirements  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopeia." 

Does  this  mean  that  the  Duffy  product  of  to-day  is  different 
from  that  sold  five  or  six  years  ago?  It  would  seem  so.  Some 
of  the  more  recent  pamphlets  sent  out  by  the  Duffy  Malt  Whis- 
key Company  contain  what  purport  to  be  analyses  made  by 
chemists.  One  of  these  is  from  Joseph  De  (luehuee  who,  it  will 
be  remembered,  when  testifying  in  1905  as  chief  chemist  of  the 
health  department  of  the  city  of  New  York,  declared  tnat  he 


MISCELLANEOUS     \ox'l'RVM8  201 

found  this  product  to  b«  "whiskey  with  a  little  cane  sugar 
added  to  it."  But  Dr.  De  Guehuee  later  became  associated  with 
the  Lederle  Laboratories  and  in  that  capacity  he  declared: 
"Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is  free  from  added  sugar  .  .  ." 

We  have  been  asked  at  various  times  whether  the  testimonials 
of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  purporting  to  come  from  physicians 
are  genuine.  Investigation  of  a  large  number  of  them  indi- 
cates that  the  testimonials  LS  now  published  are  documentarily 
genuine.  Evidently  the  Duffy  Company  has  found  that  it  is  no 
longer  necessary  to  "fake"  testimonials,1  as  it  has  done  in  the 
past. 

Of  104  physicians  who  had  written  testimonials  for  Duffy's 
Malt  Whiskey,  5  are  members  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation, and  18  have  written  testimonials  for  other  nostrums. 
From  our  files  it  appears  that  some  of  the  104  testimonial - 
givers  are  either  advertising  quacks  or  are  connected  with 
fraudulent  medical  concerns.  It  is  not  difficult  to  estimate  the 
scientific  value  of  testimonials  that  come  from  such  sources. 

CONCLUSION 

We  may  accept  the  statement  of  the  state  chemists  of  North 
Dakota  that  the  stuff  is  plain  alcohol  with  syrup  added  to  give 
it  "smoothness"  and  coloring  added  to  make  it  look  like  whis- 
key; or  we  may  believe  the  federal  chemist  who  declared  it  sim- 
ply "whiskey  of  a  very  poor  quality;"  or  we  may  think  that 
Chemist  De  Guehuee  was  right  when  he  said  it  was  "whiskey, 
with  a  little  cane  sugar  added  to  it;"  or  we  may  prefer  Dr. 
De  Guehuee's  later  pronouncement  that  the  stuff  "is  free  from 
added  sugar;"  again  we  may  feel  that  Dr.  Curran's  early 
declaration  is  worthy  of  attention  and  that  Duffy's  Malt  Whis- 
key contains  drugs  and  is  "a  medicine"  or  possibly  we  may  take 
Dr.  Curran's  later  statement  that  the  product  is  merely  a 
whiskey  as  defined  by  the  Pharmacopeia.  But  whether  we  con- 
sider Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  a  "patent  medicine"  or  a  low  grade 
"booze"  makes  little  difference.  On  one  point  we  can  agree 
unanimously;  the  stuff  is  an  impudent  fraud.  As  we  have  said 
elsewhere:  A  high  grade  whiskey  has  but  a  limited  place  in 
therapeutics;  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  has  none. —  (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  23,  1912.) 

A  Repudiated  Testimonial 

In  the  early  part  of  1906,  the  Duffy  Malt  Whiskey  Company 
issued  an  advertisement  in  which  appeared  what  purported 
to  be  a  testimonial  from  Rev.  James  Stoddard  of  Perry,  N.  Y. 
According  to  the  advertisement,  the  Rev.  J.  Stoddard  was  a 
"Doctor  of  Divinity"  and  a  "great  pulpit  orator,"  who  in 
writing  the  testimonial  was  "gratefully  acknowledging  the 

1.  Some  testimonials  investigated  a  few  years  ago  by  TIIK 
.Turnv.u,  were  shown  to  he  fraudulent.  See  THE  JOURNAL  A,  M.  A., 
Dec.  10,  1909,  p.  1890. 


202  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

debt  he  owes  to  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey."  Here  is  the 
letter  published  by  the  Duffy  concern  as  having  come  from 
Stoddard : 

PERHY,  N.  Y.,   Sept.   21,   1905. 

My  Dear  Brother:  "Yes,  dear  brother,  it  would  give  me  lasting 
joy  to  be  at  your  bedside  through  these  long  and  trying  days ; 
to  be  able  to  minister  to  your  physical  wants,  and  to  lead  your 
thoughts  along  paths  profitable  alike  to  both  of  us.  Alas,  I  cannot 
come  to  you,  but  I  am  comforted  in  knowing  that  the  lung  trouble 
is  leaving  you  and  that  you  are  in  good  hands  and  have  every 
care.  Above  all,  that  your  doctors  have  found  in  Duffy's  Pure  Malt 
Whiskey  the  one  medicine  that  is  curing  you.  I  am  certain  that 
this  preparation  will  continue  to  build  you  up,  that  it  will  put  you 
on  your  feet  again,  as  well  and  strong  as  you  used  to  be. 

You  will  remember  the  condition  in  which  the  closing  months 
of  the  last  year  found  me.  My  voice  was  gone,  I  suffered  from 
chronic  bronchitis,  I  was  weak  in  body  and  slow  of  mind.  When 
hope  had  all  but  vanished,  a  dear,  old  friend  brought  me  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey.  I  took  it  according  to  directions,  a  dessert- 
spoonful three  times  a  day.  You  know  full  well  what  a  cure  was 
wrought  in  my  case. 

To-day  I  am  strong,  robust  and  healthy.  My  throat  is  com- 
pletely cured,  my  voice  restored.  I  am  imbued  with  strength, 
energy  and  hope.  My  limbs  of  elasticity  of  youth,  and  I  possess 
the  exalted  powers  of  mind  and  body.  This  and  more  I  owe  to 
Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey,  the  purest  and  most  effective  medicinal 
preparation  nature  has  produced.  1  bid  you  then  to  take  courage. 

Yours   with    warmest  good   wishes, 

REV.  JAMES   STODDARD." 

A  few  weeks  after  the  appearance  of  this  advertisement 
in  the  newspapers  of  the  country,  the  Perry  (N.  Y. )  Record, 
a  newspaper  published  in  the  city  in  which  Mr.  Stoddard  was 
formerly  a  pastor,  had  something  to  say  about  what  it  termed 
the  "contemptible  trick"  that  had  "been  played  upon  Rev. 
James  Stoddard."  It  appears  that  Mr.  Stoddard's  picture  in 
the  Duffy  advertisement  had  caused  much  unfavorable  com- 
ment in  Perry,  as  well  as  in  other  places  where  he  was 
known.  To  obtain  the  facts  in  the  case,  a  resident  of  Perry 
wrote  to  Mr.  Stoddard.  Here  is  the  reply  that  was  received: 

ROCHESTER,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  31,  190G. 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Andrews,  Perry,  N.  Y. 

Dvar  Madam:  In  reply  to  your  letter  'of  the  30th  I  would  say 
that  a  great  injustice  has  been  done  me.  I  never  wrote  that 
letter,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  fact  that  I  had  left  Perry  11  weeks 
before  the  date  of  it.  I  had  no  such  sick  friend,  and  it  is  not 
my  mode  of  writing.  I  am  no  "D.D."  and  never  was  "a  great 
pulpit  orator." 

The  truth  is,  when  I  left  Perry  I  had  no  means  and  went  in 
search  of  work.  I  could  find  none  in  the  church,  so  I  tried  other 
ways.  At  last  a  friend  told  me  that  I  might  be  able  to  place  on 
sale  the  mineral  water  which  1  discovered  in  the  State  of  Wyoming, 
near  Rock  Springs,  through  the  Warner  Safe  Cure  Company. 

This  company  is  now  owned  by  Duffy  &  Co.  and  is  in  the  same 
building.  A  week  later  I  was  sent  for  and  introduced  to  Mr.  Duffy 
and  son,  whom  I  found  to  be  very  cordial.  Then  the  man  who 
sent  for  me  told  me  that  Mr.  Duffy  had  three  cousins  in  the 
Episcopal  ministry,  and  so  felt  kindly  disposed,  and  if  I  would 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


203 


accept  copying  work  to  be  done  at  my  home  I  could  liave  it  to  do 
until  I  found  something  better.  Afterward,  the  manager  talked 
with  me  about  the  West  and  wished  to  sec  some  of  my  illustrated 
addresses.  He  offered  to  buy  one  of  them  and  wanted  me  to  let 
my  picture  go  with  it.  The  next  thing  I  learned  was  that  the 
picture  was  used  for  an  advertisement,  which  shocked  me  beyond 
anything-  ever  before.  I  went  immediately  to  President  Duffy  of 
the  company,  and  he  at  once  took  action  to  prevent  the  publica- 
tion from  appearing  again. 

I    was   a   fool   to   fall   into   such  a   trap   and  am  being   roundly 
abused.      Such    advertising    agents    are    too    sharp   for   the    clergy. 


P  PERRY  RECORD 


Life  a  Sermon  of  Thankfulness 


and  Former  Rector  of  the 
knowledges  the  debt  he 
owes  to  Duffy's  Pure 
pressive  truths  from  the  lips  of  this  dis- 
tinguished divine,  who  bids  his  ailing 
bro'her  be  of  good  cheer  and  prophesies 
th.it  health,  strength  an J  the  joy  of 


Photographic  reproductions,  greatly  reduced,  of  (1)  a  Duffy 
advertisement  giving  what  purported  to  be  a  letter  from  the  "Rev. 
J.  Stoddard,  D.D.,  Great  Pulpit  Orator,"  and  (2)  of  a  portion  of  a 
newspaper,  reproducing  a  letter  from  Mr.  Stoddard  in  which  he 
disclaims  being  either  a  "D.D.,"  a  "great  pulpit  orator"  or,  in  fact, 
the  author  of  the  letter  published  by  the  Duffy  concern. 


Perhaps  Osier  was  right ;  when  we  cease  to  be  young  and  active 
we  ought  to  be  chloroformed.  We  fall  into  traps.  We  are  liable 
to  have  tricks  played  upon  us,  and  what  we  say  of  water  is  used 
to  puff  up  something  else.  But  there  is  a  just  God,' and  he  will 
take  care  of  his  old  servants  who  have  borne  the  burden  and  heat 
of  the  day.  Sincerely  yours, 

JAMKS  STODDAKD. 


204  I'ltiH'MJAXDA     FOR     REFORM 

Fraudulent  Testimonials 

We  have  repeatedly  asserted  that  there  is  no  dividing  line 
between  nostrums  advertised  to  the  public  in  newspapers— 
"patent  medicines" — and  those  advertised  to  the  medical  pro- 
fession— "proprietaries."  Many  are  advertised  both  to  the 
public  and  to  the  profession  openly — because  there  are  medical 
journals  that  will  take  such  advertisements.  It  is  not  our 
intention  to  expose  the  fraudulent  character  of  so-called  "pat- 
ent medicines"  except  incidentally,  until  the  fraudulent  char- 
acter of  the  "ethical"  proprietary  business  has  been  published 
to  the  profession.  We  refer  to.  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey 
this  week  because  it  is  among  the  nostrums  advertised  to 
physicians. 

We  know  of  no  more  fraudulent  and  extravagant  claims  for 
any  "patent  meaicine"  than  those  which  the  proprietors  of 
Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  make  in  their  advertisements. 
Their  claims  for  it  as  a  health  restorer  equal  those  made  for 
peruna,  liquozone,  wine  of  cardui,  and  similar  nostrums. 

But  "Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey"  is  advertised  in  medical 
journals ! 

A    SAMPLE    TESTIMONIAL 

Some  months  ago  a  big  display  advertisement  of  Duffy's 
appeared  in  tne  newspapers.  It  was  accompanied  by  a  photo- 
graph of  an  old  lady  and  by  the  old  lady's  testimonial.  Here 
is  the  testimonial,  with  some  of  the  comments  on  it  that 
appeared  in  the  "ad.": 

"A    DEAR    OLD    SOUL    ACTIVE    AND    HAPPY    AT    106 

"Mrs.  Nancy  Tigue,  of  Lafayette,  Ind.,  Although  in  Her  106th 
Year,  Says : 

"  'I  Really  Don't  Feel  Like  I'm  a  Day  Over  60,  Thanks  to  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey,  Which  Is  the  Real  Secret  of  My  Great  Age, 
Health,  Vigor  and  Content' 

"Mrs.  Tigue  Is  Blessed  with  All  Her  Faculties  and  Does  Exquisite 
Fancy  Work  Without  Glasses.  She  is  as  Spry  as  Many  Women 
Half  Her  Age. 

"With  the  Help  of  the  Invigorating  and  Life-Giving  Powers  of 
This  Wonderful  Medicine  Mrs.  Tigue  says  She  Expects  to  Live 
Twenty-five  Years  Longer. 

"  'I  will  be  one  hundred  and  six  years  old,'  writes  Mrs.  Tigue. 
'on"thc  fifteenth  of  March,  and  really  I  don't  feel  like  I  am  a  day 
over  sixty,  thanks  to  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey.  Friends  say  I 
look  younger  and  stronger  than  I  did  30  years  ago.  I  have  always 
enjoyed  health  and  been  able  to  eat  and  sleep  well,  though  I  have 
been  a  hard  worker.  Even  now  1  wait  on  myself  and  am  busy  on  a 
pretty  piece  of  fan:y  work.  My  sight  is  so  good  I  don't  even  use 
glasses.  Am  still  blest  with  all  my  faculties.  The  real  secret  of 
my  great  age,  health,  vigor  and  content  is  the  fact  that  for  many 
years  I  have  taken  regularly  a  little  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey, 
and  it  has  been  my  only  medicine.  It's  wonderful  how  quickly  it 
revives  and  keeps  up  one's  strength  and  spirits.  I  am  certain  I'd 
have  died  long  ago  had  it  not  been  for  my  faithful  old  friend 
'Duffy's,'  August  10,  1904.' 

"Duffy's  Pure  Malt  WThiskey 
"Is  the  Comfort  and  Support  of  Old  Age. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  205 

"The  sincere  and  grateful  tribute  of  Mrs.  Tigue  to  the  invig-or- 
ating  and  life-prolonging  powers  of  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  convincing  on  record.  She  sews, 
reads  and  is  dependent  upon  no  one  for  the  little  services  and  at- 
tentions of  old  age.  Mrs.  Tigue's  memory  is  perfect,  and  her  eyes 
sparkle  with  interest  as  she  quaintly  recalls  events  that  have  gone 
down  into  history  of  the  past  hundred  years.  Instead  of  pining,  as 
many  women  half  her  age,  she  is  firm  in  the  belief  that  with  the 
comforting  and  strengthening  assistance  of  Duffy's  Pure  Malt 
Whiskey  she  will  live  another  quarter  of  a  century." 

These  statements  were  so  remarkable  that  we  wrote  to  two 
physicians  of  Lafayette  for  facts.  It  seems  that  one  cf  the 
Indianapolis  newspapers  published  an  item  regarding  Mrs. 
Tigue  having  reached  her  one  hundred  and  fifth  birthday,  and 
evidently  this  Avas  the  cue  for  the  Duffy  exploiters. 

The  following  letter  is  from  Dr.  George  F.  Keiper,  one  of 
the  councilors  of  the  Indiana  State  Medical  Association.  As 
the  eye  and  ear  surgeon  to  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital  he  visited 
that  institution  every  day,  which  explains  his  personal  knowl- 
edge of  the  case. 

LAFAYETTE,  IXD.,  Nov.  18,  1905. 

My  Dear  Doctor: — Yours  of  the  14th  has  been  received;  also  a 
copy  of  an  advertisement  published  in  the  newspapers  last  winter, 
which  contains,  among  other  matter,  a  photograph  of  Mrs.  Nancy 
Tigue,  and  also,  among  other  statements,  the  following :  "Mrs. 
Nancy  Tigue,  of  Lafayette,  Ind.  Although  in  Her  106th  Year,  Says : 
'I  Really  Don't  Feel  Like  I'm  a  Day  Over  60,  Thanks  to  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey.  Which  is  the  Real  Secret  of  My  Great  Age, 
Health,  Vigor  and  Content.'  " 

1'  have  had  several  interviews  concerning  Mrs.  Tigue  and  this 
testimonial.  I  have  known  the  old  lady  for  a  number  of  years  and, 
to  my  certain  knowledge,  she  has  never  used  alcoholics  in  any 
form.  I  used  to  see  her  every  day  at  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital.  I 
interviewed  Sister  Bernard!,  the  Sister  Superior  of  St.  Elizabeth's 
Hospital,  where  Mrs.  Tigue  was  for  a  number  of  years.  The  Sister 
Superior  says  that  Mrs.  Tigue  never  took  any  whiskey  while  there. 
I  further  asked  Sister  Benigna  and  Sister  Aloysia  and  they  both 
denied  that  she  used  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey. 

For  the  past  three  or  four  years  Mrs.  Tigue  has  been  at  St. 
Anthony's  Home  for  the  Aged,  going  there  from  St.  Elizabeth's 
Hospital  when  the  Home  was  opened.  This  Home  is  a  branch  of 
St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital.  Sister  Frances  is  in  charge  of  the  Home, 
and  she  told  me  that  Mrs.  Tigue  has  never  taken  a  drop  of  any 
kind  of  whiskey  while  there. 

I  also  saw  her  son,  Mr.  Michael  Tigue.  The  advertisement  of 
Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  filled  him  with  indignation  passing  all 
bounds.  He  corroborated  all  that  the  Sisters  told  me.  and  he  fur- 
ther told  me  that  when  this  advertisement  appeared,  he  had  some 
sharp  correspondence  with  the  Duffy  people. 

The  photograph  used  in  the  advertisement  was  obtained  by  a 
party  who  said  he  wanted  to  use  it  in  one  of  the  Indianapolis 
papers.  Of  course,  misrepresentation  was  resorted  to. 

Concerning  the  testimonial :  The  man  who  obtained  it,  went  to 
Mrs.  Tigue  and  requested  her  to  sign  a  testimonial  concerning 
Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey,  but  she  said  she  never  used  it,  and  the 
agent  was  told  to  sec  her  son.  The  man  then  saw  Mr.  Michael 
Tigue,  who  refused  to  grant  his  request.  The  agent  then  took  a 
notary  public  to  the  Home  and  represented  to  Mrs.  Tigue  that  her 
son  told  her  to  sign  the  testimonial.  Very  truly  yours, 

GEOKQE  F.  KEITER. 


206  PROP  AO  AN  DA     FOR     REFORM 

Dr.  W.  W.  Vinnedge  is  another  Lafayette  physician  to  whom 
\ve  wrote.  His  letter  we  quote: 

LAFAYETTE,  Nov.  21,  1905. 

Dear  Doctor: — In  response  to  your  inquiries  as  to  Mrs.  Nancy 
Tlgue  of  Lafayette,  I  beg  to  say  that  I  investigated  her  case  as  to 
Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  somewhat  less  than  a  year  ago.  .  .  . 
This  morning  I  found  Mr.  Michael  Tigue,  single,  stone-cutter,  ex- 
township  trustee,  58  years  old,  son  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Tigue,  and 
.  .  .  he  dictated  and  signed  the  enclosed  statement.  .  .  . 
You  have  been  misinformed  in  one  particular,  Mrs.  Tigue  does 
not  live  in  a  home  for  feeble-minded,  but  in  the  Old  People's  Home, 
under  the  care  of  the  Poor  Franciscan  Sisters.  1  visited  her  there 
twice  in  the  early  part  of  the  past  summer,  saw  her  sitting  by  her 
bed  fully  dressed,  saw  her  led  across  the  floor  by  a  Sister  with  a 
hand  under  her  (Mrs.  T's.)  elbow,  and  she  appeared  to  be  nearly 
blind,  as  the  Sister  said.  The  old  lady,  however,  is  fairly  intelli- 
gent, and  while  very  senile  in  appearance  talked  understanding^*. 
She  and  the  Sister  assured  me  that  she  drank  no  intoxicating 
drinks  at  all,  and  never  had  done  so,  and  from  their  manner  and 
words  I  saw  that  they  thought  the  report  ridiculous.  I  am  sure 
that  the  old  lady  knows  nothing  at  all  about  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey. 

As  to  the  testimonial  given  by  the  old  lady.  About  a  year  ago  a 
young  man  from  Indianapolis,  a  newspaper  man,  got  off  the  train 
here  one  morning  and  called  on  Mr.  Mike  Tigue,  and  asked  for  a 
testimonial.  Mr.  Tigue  gave  him  permission  to  see  his  mother, 
but  refused  the  testimonial.  The  enterprising  young  man  hired  a 
horse  and  buggy  from  a  livery  stable,  and  taking  Mr.  Oscar  Camp- 
bell, notary,  Lafayette,  drove  out  to  the  Old  People's  Home,  about 
two  miles,  and  saw  the  old  lady,  led  her  to  think  that  her  son 
Michael  had  sent  them,  that  he  wished  her  to  sign  the  testimonial, 
which  she  did  by  making  her  mark,  and  without  having  a  clear  idea 
of  the  contents  of  her  statement,  and  without  having  any  idea  at 
all  of  what  use  was  to  be  made  of  it.  You  know  the  balance. 

Later,  as  I  am  informed,  Mr.  Michael  Tigue  wrote,  or  caused  his 
attorneys,  Messrs.  Kumler  &  Gaylord,  Lafayette,  Ind.,  to  write  to 
the  Duffy  Malt  Company  protesting  against  the  use  of  his  mother's 
name,  forbidding  it.  Finally,  he  told  me  to-day,  the  firm  quit  pub- 
lishing her  picture  and. statement  in  the  newspapers,  but  it  is  in 
press  and  will  appear  in  Duffy's  book  soon ;  they  could  not  "cut  it 
out"  of  that  at  this  stage.  If  you  wish  any  additional  informa- 
tion and  will  indicate  what  it  is,  I  will  be  very  pleased  to  try  to 
get  it  and  to  help  along  the  good  work  in  which  you  are  engaged. 
Very  truly  yours,  W.  W.  VINXEDGE. 

The  following  is   the   statement   referred  to,   made   by   Mr. 

Tigue : 

LAFAYETTE,  Nov.  21,  1905. 

To  Whom  it  May  Concern:— I  am  the  son  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Tigue, 
who  is  now  an  inmate  of  the  St.  Anthony's  Home,  and  I  am  58 
years  old.  My  mother  is  one  hundred  and  five  years  old,  was  born 
in  Ireland.  Our  home  is,  or  was,  413  S.  1st  St.,  Lafayette.  Mother 
is  almost  blind,  and  she  has  been  cared  for  by  the  Sisters  about 
four  years — one  year  at  the  Old  People's  Home.  My  mother  never 
drank  any  intoxicating  drinks  at  all.  She  does  not  know  what 
Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  is.  She  was  imposed  on  in  order  to  obtain 
the  advertisement  of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey,  being  nearly  blind  was 
influenced  to  sign  a  false  affidavit  by  Duffy's  solicitor,  which  was 
published  without  our  knowledge  or  consent.  MICHAEL  G.  TIGUE. 

CENTENARIAN  .FEELS   LIKE   A   GIKL 

A  "companion  piece"  to  the  above  is  the  picture  and  testi- 
monial of  Mrs.  Louisa  Cox  of  Harrington,  Maine.  This  is  still 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  207 

appearing  in  the  newspapers,  or  was   a  month  ago.     Here  is 
the  testimonial  as  it  appeared  in  the  newspapers: 

"HARRINGTON,  ME.,  May  20,   1904. 

"Gentlemen: — 1  am  105  years  old.  I  am  well,  without  a  pain 
or  ache.  I  sleep  as  well  as  I  did  when  I  was  a  girl.  I  use  your 
whiskey  and  like  it  very  much.  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is  the 
only  medicine  I  use.  I  get  water  from  the  well,  bring  in  wood,  and 
do  my  housework.  MRS.  LOUISA  Cox." 

The  advertisement  is  accompanied  with  the  usual  extrava- 
gant claims  and  statement,  but  we  have  only  space  for  one 
quotation.  In  this  advertisement  we  are  told  that: 

"There  are  4,000  men  and  women  in  this  country  alone  who 
have  passed  the  hundred  year  mark,  and  nearly  every  one  of  them 
has  publicly  acknowledged  that  he  or  she  owes  health,  strength, 
continued  use  of  all  the  faculties,  and  extreme  old  age  to  Duffy's 
Pure  Malt  Whiskey,  the  great  cure  and  preventive  of  disease,  the 
true  elixir  of  life." 

Four  thousand  people  in  this  country  over  100  years  old 
have  publicly  acknowledged  that  they  use  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey!!  We  wrote  to  Dr.  E.  A.  White,  Columbus  Falls, 
Maine,  and  asked  him  to  investigate  the  case.  Dr.  White 
replies  as  follows: 

COLUMBIA  FALLS,  ME.,  Nov.  11,  1905. 

Dear  Doctor: — In  accordance  with  your  request  I  went  to  the 
home  of  Mrs.  Lovisa  Cox  (not  Louisa  as  appears  in  the  advertise- 
ment). She  tells  me  she  will  be  107  the  12th  of  January,  1900. 
She  says  she  never  took  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  or  any  other 
whiskey  in  her  life.  Never  took  but  very  little  medicine  any  way. 
Her  daughter,  Eliza  A.  Shaw,  with  whom  the  old  lady  lives,  veri- 
fied the  statement.  You  will  notice  a  statement  from  her  on  the 
back  of  your  enclosed  letter.  She  knows  about  the  advertisement 
which  has  appeared  in  the  Dangor  Commercial,  a  paper  printed  in 
Bangor,  Maine.  She  has  been  interviewed  a  number  of  times  about 
the  matter  and  always  denied  it.  Calls  it  a  lie.  The  advertisement 
is  in  the  Bangor  Commercial  now,  same  as  the  one  you  sent  me. 
An  article  came  out  in  the  Bangor  News,  another  paper  printed  in 
Bangor,  Maine,  denying  the  statement  of  the  old  lady's  appearing-  in 
ad.  of  the  Commercial.  The  old  lady  can  neither  read  nor  write, 
so  if  she  made  her  cross  (x)  under  any  statement  she  would  have 
no  way  of  knowing  really  what  it  contained,  thereby  giving  some 
unscrupulous  person  a  chance  to  deceive  her.  I  do  not  think  this 
was  even  done.  I  do  not  charge  you  anything  for  my  trouble  ;  am 
only  too  glad  to  help  you  to  unearth  such  frauds.  Let  me  know 
if  you  need  anything  more.  Yours,  E.  A.  WHITE. 

On  the  back  of  the  letter  to  Dr.  White  is  written  with  pencil 
the  following: 

This  is  to  certify  that  I,  Eliza  A.  Shaw,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Lovisa 
Cox,  know  that  my  mother  never  has  taken  Duffy's  Pure  Malt 
Whiskey,  or  any  other  whiskey  for  medicine. 

Witness :   SUSIE   A.    SHAW.  ELIZA  A.   SHAW. 

A  letter  to  the  postmaster  of  Harrington,  Maine,  brought 
the  following  reply: 


208 


PROPAGANDA     FOR 


IIARRINGTOX,    ME.,    NOV.     13,    1905. 

Dear  Sir: — Relative  to  enclosed  ad.  would  say  that  party  in 
question  has  never  used  liquor  in  any  form  and  can  secure  her 
affidavit  to  that  effect  if  you  care  to  bear  the  expense.  Party  lives 
some  four  miles  from  town  ;  it  would  be  necessary  to  drive  out  in 
order  to  interview  her.  Yours,  WM.  N.  DYER,  P.  M. 

Those  who  want  further  information  regarding  the  character 
of  the  Duffy  testimonials  should  refer  to  the  article  in  Colliers. 


m  PAIN  OB  ACHE  AT  105 

Mrs;  Louisa  Cox,  Who  Is  105  Years  Old,  Sleeps  Like 

a  Girl,  and  Says  She  Does  Not  Know  What 

It  Is  to  Have  a  Pain  or  Ache. 


Her  Only  Medicine  Is 
DUFFY'S  PURE  MALT 
WHISKEY,  "The  Renewer 
of  Youth." 


key  and    like   It  very  much,     Duffy'*  Pure 

4,000  Centenarians  Owe 
Health  and  Old  Age  to 


Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey 


•AVOID  SUBSTITUTES. 


I'hotographic  reproduction  of  a  Duffy  advertisement  giving  what 
purported  to  he  a  testimonial  from  Mrs.  Cox  of  Harrington,  Me. 
Investigation  indicated  that  Mrs.  Cox  could  neither  read  nor  write 
and  had  never  taken  either  Duffy's  whiskey  or  any  other  whiskey. 


For  the  wonderful  virtues  of  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey,  as  a 
medicine,  we  respectfully  refer  to  the  advertisements  appearing 
in  the  newspapers  of  the  country.— (Modified  from  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  16,  1905.) 


Ml  KG  EL  LA  NEO  UX     H08TR  UM8 


209 


What  Collier's  Said  about  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey 
From  its  very  name  one  would  naturally  absolve  Duffy's 
Malt  Whiskey  from  fraudulent  pretence.  But  Duffy's  Malt 
Whiskey  is  a  fraud,  for  it  pretends  to  be  a  medicine  and  to 
cure  all  kinds  of  lung  and  throat  diseases.  It  is  especially 
favored  by  temperance  folk.  "A  dessertspoonful  four  to  six 
times  a  day  in  water  and  a  tablespoonful  on  going  to  bed" 
(personal  prescription  for  consumptive),  makes  a  fair  grog 
allowance  for  an  abstainer. 

MEDICINE   OR   LIQUOR? 

"You  must  not  forget,"  writes  the  doctor  in  charge,  by  way 
of  allaying  the  supposed  scruples  of  the  patient,  "that  taking 


This  saloon  advertised  Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey,  the  beverage 
"indorsed"  by  the  "distinguished  divines  and  temperance  workers," 
and  displays  it  with  other  well-known  brands  of  Bourbon  and  rye 
— not  as  a  medicine,  but  purely  as  a  liquor,  to  be  served,  like 
others,  in  15-eent  drinks  across  the  bar. 

Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey  in  small  or  medicinal  doses  is  not  like 
taking  liquor  in  large  quantities,  or  as  it  is  usually  taken. 
Taking  it  a  considerable  time  in  medicinal  doses,  as  we  direct, 
leads  to  health  and  happiness,  while  taken  the  other  way  it 
often  leads  to  ruin  and  decay.  If  you  follow  our  advice  about 


210 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


taking  it  you  will  always  be  in  the  temperance  fold,  without 
qualm  of  conscience." 

It  has  testimonials  ranging  from  consumption  to  malaria, 
and  indorsements  of  the  clergy.  On  the  opposite  page  we 
reproduce  a  Duffy  advertisement  showing  the  "portraits"  of 
three  "clergymen"  who  consider  Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  a 
gift  of  God,  and  on  this  page  a  saloon-window  display  of  this 
product.  For  the  whiskey  has  its  recognized  place  behind  the 
bar,  being  sold  by  the  manufacturers  to  the  wholesale  liquor 
trade  and  by  them  to  the  saloons,  where  it  may  be  purchased 


CLERGYMEN    ENDORSE 

Duffy's   Pure   Malt  Whiskey. 


THREE  "'DISTINGUISHED  TEMPERANCE  WORKERS"  WHO  ADVOCATE  THE 
USB  OF  WHISKEY 

Of  these  three  "distinguished  divines  and  temperance  workers," 
the  Rev.  Dunham  runs  a  Get-Married  Quick  Matrimonial  Bureau, 
while  the  "Rev."  Houghton  derives  his  income  from  his  salary  as 
Deputy  Internal  Revenue  Collector,  his  business  being  to  collect 
Uncle  Sam's  liquor  tax.  The  printed  portrait  of  Houghton  is 
entirely  imaginary.  The  Rev.  McLeod  lives  in  Grecnleaf,  Mich. — 
n  township  of  893  inhabitants,  in  Salina  County,  north  of  Port 
Huron,  and  of  the  railway  line.  Mr.  McLeod  was  called  to  trial 
by  his  presbytery  for  indorsing  Duffy's  whiskey  and  was  allowed  to 
"resign"  from  the  fellowship 

over  the  counter  for  85  cents  a  quart.  .This  is  cheap,  but 
Duffy's  Pure  Malt  Whiskey  is  not  regarded  as  a  high-class 
article. 

Its  status  has  been  definitely  settled  in  New  York  State, 
where  Excise  Commissioner  Cullinane  recently  obtained  a  deci- 
sion in  the  supreme  court  declaring  it  a  liquor.  The  trial 
was  in  Rochester,  where  the  nostrum  is  made.  Eleven  sup- 
posedly reputable  physicians,  four  of  them  members  of  the 
Health  Department,  swore  to  their  belief  that  the  whiskey  con- 
tained drugs  which  constituted  it  a  genuine  medicine.  The 
state  was  able  to  show  conclusively  that  if  remedial  drugs 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  211 

were  present  they  were  in  such  small  quantities  as  to  be  indis- 
tinguishable, and,  of  course,  utterly  without  value;  in  short, 
that  the  product  was  nothing  more  or  less  than  sweetened 
whiskey.  Yet  the  United  States  government  has  long  lent  its 
sanction  to  the  "medicine"  status  by  exempting  Duffy's  Pure 
Malt  Whiskey  from  the  federal  liquor  tax.  In  fact,  the  gov- 
ernment is  primarily  responsible  for  the  formal  establishment 
of  the  product  as  a  medicine,  having  forced  it  into  the  patent 
medicine  ranks  at  the  time  when  the  Spanish  war  expenses 
were  partly  raised  by  a  special  tax  on  nostrums.  Up  to  that 
time  the  Duffy  product,  while  asserting  its  virtues  in  various 
ills,  made  no  direct  pretence  to  be  anything  but  a  whiskey. 
Transfer  to  the  patent-medicine  list  cost  it,  in  war  taxes,  more 
than  $40,000.  By  way  of  getting  a  quid  pro  quo,  the  company 
began  ingeniously  and  with  some  justification  to  exploit  its 
liquor  as  "the  only  whiskey  recognized  by  the  government  as 
medicine,"  and  continues  so  to  advertise,  although  the  recent 
decision  of  the  Internal  Kevenue  Department,  providing  that 
all  patent  medicines  which  have  no  medicinal  properties  other 
than  the  alcohol  in  them  must  pay  a  rectifier's  tax,  relegates 
it  to  its  proper  place.  While  this  decision  is  not  a  severe 
financial  blow  to  the  Duffy  concern  and  their  cogeners  (it 
means  only  a  few  hundred  dollars  apiece),  it  is  important  as 
officially  establishing  the  "bracer"  class  on  the  same  footing 
with  whiskey  and  gin,  where  they  belong. —  (From  Collier's, 
Oct.  28,  1905.) 


ECTHOL 

Ecthol,  advertised  in  a  style  typical  of  nostrums,  is  said 
to  contain  as  its  active  ingredients  Echinacea  angusti- 
folia  (Pale  Purple  Cone  Flower)  and  Thuja  occidentalis  (Ar- 
bor Vitse).  Neither  of  these  drugs  is  official  in  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopeia  and  information  concerning  their  therapeutic 
value  amounts  practically  to  unverified  claims  that  they  are 
useful  as  alteratives  and  in  certain  inflammatory  conditions. 
The  viciousness  of  vaunting  an  internal  remedy  for  serious 
septic  conditions  without  ample  basis  of  fact  is  self-evident. 
A  pamphlet  before  us,  entitled  "Ecthol  in  the  Sudan,"  is  a 
fine  example  of  nostrum  advertising,  calculated  to  captivate 
the  unthinking  physician  with  its  show  of  science  and  to 
mislead  him  into  believing  that  the  remedy  exploited  has 
been  endorsed  by  high  authority.  It  begins  with  a  eulogy 
of  the  Wellcome  Research  Laboratory  at  Khartum,  Sudan, 
and  its  second  report,  and  the  work  of  the  laboratory  is 
described  and  praised.  In  close  connection  with  this  praise 
of  legitimate  scientific  work,  we  are  told  that  ecthol  is  used 
in  the  Sudan,  "and  that  it  is  regarded  as  almost  a  specific 
in  certain  classes  of  diseases."  The  reader  is  left  to  infer  that 
its  use  is  described  in  the  report,  although  the  advertiser  is 


212  PROPAGANDA     FOR     HKroiiM 

careful  not  to  say  so.  Three  pictures  of  patients  with  small- 
pox, chickenpox  and  syphilitic  ecthyma,  respectively,  are  re- 
produced from  the  report  and  without  apparent  break  in  the 
article  .we  are  told  that  "it  is  in  precisely  such  cases  that 
ecthol  gives  its  most  striking  results."  Of  course,  the  Well- 
come Research  Laboratory  report  contains  no  such  mention 
of  ecthol.  While  such  attempts  to  bolster  up  a  preparation 
by  weaving  its  praises  into  an  account  of  a  strictly  scientific 
report  may  be  "good  business,"  it  is  in  fact  prima  facie 
evidence  of  the  valuelessness  of  a  remedy  apparently  unable 
to  stand  on  its  own  merits. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
March  13,  1909.) 

ENTERONOL 

The  "Greatest  Germicide  Known  to  Science"! 
This  preparation  is  put  on  the  market  by  the  Enteronol 
Company,  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  which  declares  that  Enteronol  is  "the 
greatest  antiseptic  and  germicide  known  to  science,"  and  that 
it  "destroys  the  germs  of  typhoid  fever,  acute  and  chronic 
diarrhea,  dysentery,  cholera  infantum,  cholera  morbus,  sum- 
mer complaint,  Asiatic  cholera,  etc.,  within  two  hours."  The 
formula  furnished  by  the  company  reads  as  follows:  "Ipecac, 
sub.  nit.  bismuth,  latalia  rad.,  camphor,  lupulin,  caffein  and 
rheum."  The  attention  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry  of  the  American  Medical  Association  was  directed 
to  this  preparation  by  a  correspondent  who  had  received  a 
circular  from  the  Enteronol  Company.  He  sent  a  dollar  to 
the  company  asking  for  a  sample  of  "latalia  rad."  that  he 
might  study  the  drug  botanically,  as  he  was  unfamiliar  with 
it.  He  expected  to  receive  by  return  mail  a  sample  of  root 
or  bark,  but  instead,  he  received  three  boxes  of  Enteronol  and 
the  information  that  as  "latalia  rad."  costs  from  $25  to  $45  a 
pound  the  company  could  not  afford  to  send  samples.  In  a 
circular  letter  sent  out  by  this  company  "latalia  rad."  is  said 
to  grow  on  the  sides  of  the  Himalaya  Mountains  in  India,  and 
that  the  company  is  unable  to  obtain  enough  for  its  own  use. 
This  statement  is  probably  correct,  and  no  one  else  could 
secure  the  drug  either.  A  sample  of  Enteronol  was  submitted 
to  Professor  Day,  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  and  to  Pro- 
fessor Kraemer  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
Professor  Day  reports  that  he  was  "unable  to  find  any  men- 
tion of  the  drug  'latalia  rad.,'  which  is  stated  as  one  of  the 
ingredients  of  this  preparation.  I  have  searched  the  usual 
works  of  reference  on  pharmacognosy  without  being  able  to 
find  any  reference  to  a  drug  of  this  name.  A  microscopic 
examination  of  the  tablets  shows  the  presence  of  rhubarb  and 
of  ginger,  but  no  lupulin,  at  least  not  in  substance;  nor  could 
I  locate  definitely  any  ipecac,  also  stated  to  be  one  of  the 
ingredients.  Since  ginger  is  not  stated  to  be  one  of  the  ingre- 
dients of  the  compound,  it,  perhaps,  may  be  the  mysterious 


MISCELLANEOUS      \nxTlfUM8  213 

stranger  'latalia  rad.'  I  was  unable  to  locate  any  of  the 
ordinary  astringent  drugs,  such  as  kino,  grameria,  or  nutgall." 
The  results  of  Professor  Kraemer's  examination  were  practi- 
cally identical  with  those  obtained  by  Professor  Day.  A  report 
from  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation states  that  as  Professors  Kraemer  and  Day  suggested 
the  presence  of  alum,  tests  were  made  for  this  substance. 
The  analysis,  details  of  which  are  given,  leads  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  alum  is  the  chief  constituent  of  Enteronol.  The 
report  adds  strongly  to  the  impression  that  "latalia  rad."  is 
simply  a  ruse  to  catch  the  unwary  and  trusting  physician  who 
lacks  the  time  to  look  into  the  botany  of  every  new  plant  dis- 
covered, and  who  is  willing  to  trust  the  honesty  of  every 
manufacturer.  Attention  is  also  directed  to  the  fact  that 
while  bismuth  and  caffein  are  mentioned  as  ingredients  tests 
made  in  the  laboratory  failed  to  discover  either  of  these  sub- 
stances. Since  there  is  no  lupulin,  no  ipecac,  no  caffein.  no 
bismuth,  and  possibly  no  "latalia  rad."  one  is  forced  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  "formula"  is  meaningless  and  worthless, 
and  that  it  is  used  simply  to  satisfy  the  demand  for  formulas 
for  proprietary  remedies.  This  is  one  more  beautiful  illus- 
tration of  the  absurdity  of  accepting  a  preparation  because 
the  "formula  is  on  every  package." — (Abstracted  from  The 
JoiirtKil  .1.  .!/.  .1..  March  21,  /.WS.) 

An  Invitation  to  The  Journal  to  Humbug  the  Profession 
THE  JOUBNAL  has  received  a  circular  letter  from  the  Entero- 
nol Company,  in  which  the  following  liberal  offer  is  made: 

"We  are  willing  to  take  one-fourth  or  one-half  page  'ad'  in  your 
Journal  for  a  year  at  the  regular  rate,  on  condition  that  you  ac- 
cept payment  therefore  in  our  GUARANTEED  7  per  cent.,  preferred 
stock  at  par ;  or  if  you  desire,  in  ENTERONOL  at  the  net  wholesale 
price  to  physicians." 

Not  that  this  offer  is  made  exclusively  to  THE  JOURNAL: 

"A  large  number  of  medical  Journals  have  accepted  the  foregoing 
proposition ;  many  carrying  this  advertising  for  several  years  al- 
ready." 

"Our  company  is  cooperative ;  we  paying  no  cash  for  advertising. 
The  company  is  owned  principally  by  physicians,  medical  journals, 
and  druggists." 

The  journals  of  which  we  have  record  that  carry  the 
enteronol  advertisement  are:  Kansas  City  Medical  Record, 
Milwaukee  Medical  Journal,  Toledo  Medical  and  Surgical  Re- 
porter, Proctologist,  Pediatrics,  and  the  Atlanta  Journal- 
Record  of  Medicine.  If  the  statements  made  by  the  Enteronol 
Co.  are  true,  we  might  infer  that  these  journals  are  being  paid 
for  advertising  space  either  with  "preferred  stock"  or  with  the 
nostrum  itself.  As  we  have  previously  shown,  however,  the 
veracity  of  the  enteronol  advertising  matter  is  by  no  means 
unimpeachable. 


214  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Enterouol,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  exposed  in  THE 
JOURNAL,  March  21,  1908.  It  is  advertised  as  the  "greatest 
antiseptic  and  germicide  known  to  science,"  and  possesses  ( ? ) 
such  remarkable  power  that  it  "destroys  the  germs  of  typhoid 
fever,  acute  and  chronic  diarrhea,  dysentery,  cholera  infan- 
tum,  cholera  morbus,  summer  complaint,  Asiatic  cholera,  etc., 
within  two  hours."  "The  original  product  is  found  only  high 
up  on  the  sides  of  the  loftiest  mountains  in  the  world — the 
Himalayas  of  India." 

THE  "LITERATURE"  FORMULA 
Of  course  it  has  a  "formula": 

Ipecac  Lupulin 

Sub.  nit.  bismuth  Latalia  rad.  Caffeln 

Camphor  Rheum 

This  seems  very  open  and  above  board,  except  as  to  quan- 
tities, until  one  tries  to  find  out  what  "latalia  rad."  is;  then 
it  is  discovered  that  it  is  the  "mysterious  stranger"  of  phar- 
macognosy.  Experts  to  whom  this  "remedy"  was  submitted 
were  unable  even  to  find  mention  of  such  a  drug  or  plant  as 
"latalia  rad."  Nor  was  this  the  only  fake  found  concerning 
the  stuff;  carefully  conducted  experiments  repeatedly  carried 
out  in  the  Association's  laboratory  failed  to  disclose  even  a 
trace  of  bismuth  subnitrate  or  caffein.  These  experiments  did 
show,  however,  that  the  tablets  contained  an  amount  of  alum- 
inum corresponding  to  over  25  per  cent,  of  crystallized 
alum.  This  led  to  the  conclusion  that  alum,  whose  presence  is 
not  even  hinted  at  in  the  "formula,"  is  the  chief  constituent  of 
enteronol  and  as  a  corollary  that  the  formula  is  meaningless 
and  worthless. 

THE  LABEL  FORMULA 

There  is  a  curious  lack  of  coordination  between  the  "formula" 
as  printed  on  the  label  and  that  given  in  the  "literature." 
The  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  it  will  be  remembered,  makes  lying 
on  the  label  illegal,  and  therefore  dangerous;  statements  in 
advertising  matter  that  does  not  accompany  the  product,  how- 
ever, are  not  controlled  by  that  law.  The  "formula"  in  the 
"literature"  we  have"  already  given;  the  "formula"  on  the 
label  gives  the  following  ingredients: 

Ipecac  Lupulin 

Sub.    nit.   bismuth  Opium,  %  gr.  Caffein 

Camphor  Rheum 

Two  things  about  this  are  worth  noting:  One  is  that  the 
name  of  the  ingredient  on  which  the  manufacturer  lays  so 
much  stress — latalia  rad.,  the  mysterious  Himalayan  plant — 
is  absent  from  the  label.  This  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
what  has  already  been  intimated  by  THE  JOURNAL — namely, 
that  latalia  rad.  is  a  figment  of  the  imagination — is  a  fact. 
The  second  noticeable  thing  about  the  label  "formula,"  as 
distinct  from  the  "formula"  in  the  advertising  matter,  is  that 
on  the  label  we  find  there  is  opium  in  the  preparation.  Why 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  215 

is  no  mention  made  of  the  presence  of  this  potent  drug  in  the 
advertising  matter? 

To  determine  how  nearly  the  present  statements  made  by 
the  Enteronol  Company  approximate  truthfulness,  our  chem- 
ists were  asked  to  examine  the  nostrum  as  it  is  now  sold. 
Their  report  follows: 

LABORATORY   FINDINGS 

An  original  package  of  enteronol  tablets  was  purchased  on 
the  open  market  and  submitted  to  the  Association  laboratory 
for  examination.  In  general  appearance,  odor  and  taste  the 
new  tablets  are  similar  to  those  previously  examined.  The 
formula  for  the  old  tablets  was  given  as  "Ipecac,  Sub.  nit. 
bismuth,  Latalia  rad.,  Camphor,  Lupulin,  Caffein,  Rheum,"  and 
is  still  used  in  the  circulars.  But  the  label  on  the  trade  pack- 
age no  longer  mentions  "latalia  rad."  Since  the  presence  of 
"latalia  rad.,"  in  the  old  tablets,  was  questioned,  and  as  new 
labels  have  ceased  to  display  the  name,  it  was  thought  pos- 
sible that  caffein  and  bismuth  might  now  be  constituents  of 
enteronol.  as  the  drugs  are  still  mentioned  in  the  new  formula 
on  the  label.  Accordingly,  enteronol  was  examined  chemically 
to  verify  the  statements  on  the  label  regarding  the  presence 
of  caffein  and  bismuth  in  the  tablets. 

The  specimen  submitted  to  the  laboratory  some  time  ago 
was  found  to  contain  neither  bismuth  nor  caffein.  By  employ- 
ing the  same  methods  as  were  used  before  (the  usual  tests 
for  detecting  caffein  and  bismuth ) ,  neither  caffein  nor  bismuth 
could  be  demonstrated.  It  is  thus  evident  that  this  new  speci- 
men of  enteronol,  the  statement  on  the  label  to  the  con- 
trary notwithstanding,  contains  neither  bismuth  nor  caffein — 
at  least,  in  appreciable  quantities. 

One  would  think  that  the  discrepancy  between  "formulas" 
and  facts  would  prove  of  interest  to  the  stockholders  of  the 
Enteronol  Company,  especially  as  we  are  told  that  the  policy 
of  the  company  is  to  have  "practical  men  as  stockholders." 
We  are  informed: 

"Therefore,  we  have  physicians,  advertising  experts,  printers,  pub- 
lishers, engravers,  boxmakers,  lithographers,  druggists,  lawyers,  trav- 
eling salesmen,  officers  and  men  holding  executive  positions  in  vari- 
ous manufacturing  and  commercial  corporations,  editors  of  medical 
publications,  bishops,  clergymen  and  missionaries — men  from  all  the 
fields  particularly  valuable  commercially  for  our  great  enterprise." 

Yet  if  the  physician -stockholders  do  not  care  to  concern 
themselves  about  the  composition  of  the  nostrum  from  the 
sale  of  which  they  derive  dividends,  it  can  hardly  be  expected 
that  the  boxmakers  or  traveling  salesmen  will  be  interested. 

STOCK  FOR  SALE 

Medical  journals  are  not  alone  in  being  invited  to  partici- 
pate in  the  exploitation  of  this  nostrum,  vide  a  circular  letter 
from  the  Enteronol  Company  addressed  "To  Investors": 


216  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

''We  offer  at  par  of  $10  each,  1,000  shares  of  our  Guaranteed 
7  per  cent.  Preferred  Stock,  cumulative  dividends,  payable  quarterly 
.  .  .  Profits  on  business  done  last  year  were  54  cents  for  every 
dollar  expended  .  .  .  We  guarantee  absolute  security  for  your 
investment.  Safer  than  a  banfc."  [Italics  ours. — Ed.] 

We  are  told  that  at  present  the  Enteronol  Company  manu- 
factures two  products:  a  castor-oil  preparation,  known  as 
fig-ol,  and  enteronol.  Very  shortly,  however,  the  company  ex- 
pects to  "add  seven  equally  efficient  products." 

"The  average  cost  to  manufacture,  ready  to  ship,  a  dollar's  worth 
of  these  goods  is  less  than  ten  cents." 

"In  enteronol  alone,  the  company  has  fortunes  and  the  only 
thing  needed  to  bring  tremendous  results  and  dividends  of  100 
per  cent,  is  the  proper  amount  of  judicious  advertising." 

Here  are  some  samples  of  the  judicious  ( ?)  advertising: 

"One  Christian  missionary,  the  Rev.  Paul  Singh  of  Jubbulpore. 
India,  testifies  that  he  cured  thirteen  severe  cases  of  Asiatic  Cholera 
with  a  box  containing  less  than  thirty  tablets"  [of  enteronol]. 

"Wm.  P.  Oldham,  bishop  of  Southern  Asia,  writes  us  that  en- 
teronol cured  nine  cases  out  of  ten  of  Asiatic  Cholera.  Now  just 
think  of  India  and  China  with  their  800,000,000  people  who  are 
dying  by  the  thousands  of  a  disease  which  we  have  the  power  to 
cure  so  easily." 

How  like  a  discourse  by  that  delightful  character  of  Mark 
Twain's — the  visionary  Colonel  Sellers — this  reads.  As  he  said 
about  his  "Infallible,  Imperial,  Oriental  Optic  Liniment:" 

"Why  in  the  Oriental  countries  .  .  .  every  square  mile  of 
ground  upholds  its  thousands  on  thousands  of  struggling,  human 
creatures — and  every  separate  and  individual  devil  of  them's  got 
the  ophthalmia." 

The  prospective  stockholder  is  told  that  an  ordinary  busi- 
ness concern  reaches  the  limit  of  financial  possibilities  in  a 
few  years,  but: 

"Not  so  with  the  Enteronol  company — It  is  a  mail-order  business 
and  the  world  is  its  territory." 

Even  so  with  Colonel  Seller's  "Optic  Liniment:" 

"...  it's  a  patent  medicine  whose  field  of  operations  is  the 
solid  earth." 

And  we  are  told  elsewhere  that  "about  four-fifths  of  the 
outstanding  stock  is  held  by  the  medical  profession  alone"! 

And  this  stuff  is  advertised  in  medical  journals!! 

We  are  sometimes  in  danger  of  being  too  optimistic  regard- 
ing the  results  of  the  propaganda  for  reform  in  proprietary 
medicine.  Cases  like  this  act  as  a  corrective. — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  20,  1909.) 


FORMAMINT 

The   Profession   to   Be   Worked   Again 

Formamint  Tablets  are  widely  advertised  and  extravagantly 
exploited  to  the  laity  in  Great  Britain.  Large  and  expensive 
advertisements  appear  in  the  English  magazines  and  news- 


i//Nr/-;/./..i.v/-;or,y    \nsntUM8  217 

papers  and  the  tablets  are  pushed  under  the  most  preposterous 
claims.  The  preparation  is  put  out,  we  understand,  by  the 
same  concern  that  exploits  Sanatogen.  The  medical  profes- 
sion of  this  country  is  now  being  circularized  and  advertise- 
ments are  appearing  in  medical  journals.  They  already  appear 
in  the  Medical  Record,  New  York  Medical  Journal  and  Ameri- 
can Journal  of  Clinical  Medicine. 

It  seems  then  that  this  is  another  product  which,  for  the 
time  being  at  least,  is  to  be  a  "patent  medicine"  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic  and  an  "ethical  proprietary"  on  this. 
Doubtless  the  distinction  will  be  a  temporary  one  and  as  soon 
as  American  physicians  have  furnished  the  requisite  number 
of  testimonials  and  have  recommended  it  to  a  sufficient 
number  of  their  patients  the  advertisements  will  be  quietly 
dropped  from  the  American  medical  journals  and  the  adver- 
tising pages  of  newspapers  and  magazines  will  be  called  into 
service.^ (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  27,  1912.} 

The  So-Called  Germ-Killing  Throat  Tablet 
Formamint  tablets  have  recently  been  put  on  the  American 
market  by  the  same  concern  that  exploits  Sanatogen,  the 
"food  tonic"  or  "tonic  food" — according  to  whether  one  reads 
European  or  American  newspapers.  Formamint  tablets  are 
being  introduced  to  the  American  public  by  that  cheapest  of 
all  methods  of  advertising  "patent  medicines,"  through  the 
medical  profession.  It  is  not  advertised  in  American  news- 
papers or  lay  magazines — at  present.  For  some  years  this 
product  has  been  advertised  in  newspapers  and  other  period- 
icals in  Europe  under  such  claims  as  the  following: 

"Formamint  shields  humanity  against  infectious  disease." 

"Cures  and  prevents  sore  throat." 

"The  dangers  of  infection  from  diseases  like  diphtheria,  scarlet 
fever,  measles,  tonsillitis,  sore  throat,  mumps,  etc.,  have  now  been 
reduced  to  an  absolute  minimum.  This  is  due  to  the  discovery  of 
Wulfing's  Formamint — the  'germ-killing'  throat  tablet'." 

"Cleanses  the  mouth  and  throat  from  disease  germs  as  easily  and 
rapidly  as  dirt  is  removed  from  the  skin." 

"Formamint  will  certainly  prevent  diphtheria." 

"(Quickly  render  the  whole  mouth  and  throat  thoroughly  anti- 
septic." 

"Formamint  destroys  these  [diphtheria]  germs  so  rapidly  that 
when  a  physician  mixed  a  little  Formamint  with  water  and  added 
it  to  the  germs  taken  from  the  throat  of  a  patient  dangerously  ill 
with  diphtheria  they  were  all  killed  within  ten  minutes." 

Such  are  some  of  the  claims  by  which  Formamint  goes  to 
the  European  public.  Doubtless  it  will  be  only  a  matter  of 
time  when  the  required  number  of  testimonials  from  Amer- 
ican physicians  are  forthcoming  when  we  may  expect  to  find 
the  newspapers  of  this  country  heralding  through  their  adver- 
tising pages  the  fact  that  Formamint  is  "recommended  by 
thousands  of  American  physicians."  The  medical  journals 


218  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

that  are   lending  their  pages  to   this  preliminary   advertising 
campaign  are  the  following: 

New  York  Medical  Journal  American  Journal  of  Clinical 

Medical  Record  Medicine 

American  Medicine  Medical  Review  of  Reviews. 

How  much  longer  will  the  medical  profession  permit  itself 
to  be  used  as  an  unwitting  agency  for  the  exploitation  of 
"patent  medicines"?  The  game  has  been  worked  so  often 
that  it  has  become  transparently  thin.  It  is  evidently  not 
worn  out,  however,  or  shrewd  nostrum  promoters  would  not 
waste  their  time  or  money  on  it.  That  it  should  still  be 
considered  workable  is  complimentary  neither  to  the  standard 
of  advertising  ethics  of  medical  journals  that  accept  the 
Formamint  advertisements  nor  to  the  intelligence  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  medical  profession  who  will  "fall  for  it." — The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  2!h  1912.) 


GLYCO  THYMOLINE 
Difficulty  of  Determining  the  Formula 

In  answer  to  the  question:  "Will  you  please  inform  me 
where  I  can  find  the  formula  for  Glyco  Thymoline,  THE  JOUR- 
NAL says:  We  cannot!  Had  "a"  formula  instead  of  "the" 
formula  been  asked  for,  we  could  have  referred  to  various 
advertisements  of  this  preparation.  For  instance,  in  the  Bos- 
ton Medical  and  Surgical  Journal  we  find  "a"  formula  as  fol- 
lows : 


Sodium   

Boric    Acid    .. 

Benzoin    

Acid  Salicylic 
Eucalyptol  . .  . 
Thymoline  . . . 
Betula  Lenta 


..  24 
. .  4 
. .  4 
..0.33 
..0.33 
..0.17 
.0.08 


Menthol    0.08 

Plnl   Pumlllonis    0.17 

Glycerin  and  solvents q.  s. 

In  the  Texas  State  Journal  of  Medicine  of  the  same  date 
we  also  find  "a"  formula  which  varies  to  such  an  extent  with 
other  "formulas"  that  the  editor  of  this  journal,  Dr.  Chase, 
refused  longer  to  carry  the  Glyco-Thymoline  advertisement. 

Benzo-Sallcyl.   Sod 33.33 

Eucalyptol    0.33 

Thymol     0.17 

Sallcylate  of  Methyl,  from  Betula  Lenta 0.16T 

Plnl    Pumilionis    0.17 

Glycerin  and  solvents q.  s. 

In  the  New  York  Medical  Journal  of  December  5,  there  is 
"a"  formula  which  is  similar  to  the  one  in  th<;  Texas  journal, 
except  that  it  has  added  to  it: 

Menthol    0.08 

Examination  of  the  preparation  in  the  chemical  laboratory 
of  the  American  Medical  Association  showed  that  it  contained 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  219 

no  boric  acid,  but  instead  borax;  that  salicylic  acid  was  not 
present" as  acid,  but  as  its  sodium  salt;  that  benzoin  instead 
of  being  present  in  comparatively  large  quantities,  was  prac- 
tically absent,  and  sodium  benzoate  was  in  its  place;  that 
the  compound  "benzo-salicyl.  sod."  was  absent,  and  there  was 
instead,  a  mixture  of  sodium  benzoate  and  sodium  salicylate. 

The  results  obtained  in  the  Association's  laboratory  are 
corroborated  by  the  work  of  Dr.  J.  Kochs  (Apotheker-Zeitung, 
1907,  xviii,  169).  Dr.  Kochs  states  that  Glyco-Thymoline  is 
an  alkaline  solution  containing  potassium  carbonate,  sodium 
benzoate,  sodium  salicylate,  borax,  thymol,  menthol,  glycerin 
and  alcohol. 

The  published  formulas,  therefore,  disagree,  not  only  among 
themselves,  but  with  the  facts.  When  purchasing  proprietary 
preparations  with  such  fickle  formulas,  "you  pay  your  money" 
for  the  preparation — "and  take  your  choice" — of  formulas. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  9,  1909.) 


GONOCOCCIDE 

"Gonococcide"  is  a  preparation  sold  by  Cox  Chemical  Co., 
Chicago.  The  circular  accompanying  the  package  gives  the 
following  formula: 

CgHgBrNO  monobromacetanilid ;  CioH44N2C7HOs  eudermol ; 
CaS32H2O  gypsum  and  selenite,  CaSo4  anhydrite ;  H2O  aqua  and 
myrrh. 

NOTE. — In  combining  calcium  coral  with  sulphuric  acid,  calcium 
occurs  as  gypsum,  selenite  and  anhydrite. 

Gypsum,  selenite  and  anhydrite  are  the  names  applied 
to  different  forms  of  calcium  sulphate.  Gypsum  and 
selenite  are  chemically  identical,  being  calcium  sulphate  and 
containing  two  molecules  of  water  crystallization,  CaSO« + 
2H20,  but  differing  in  crystalline  form.  Anhydrite  is  also  cal- 
cium sulphate,  but  contains  no  water  of  crystallization.  The 
inclusion  of  three  different  forms  of  the  same  substance  should 
be  sufficient  to  demonstrate  the  "fakeness"  of  the  formula. 
The  first  substance  named,  monobromacetanilid,  has  been  used 
as  an  antiseptic  under  the  trade  names  of  antisepsin  and  asep- 
sin.  It  is  practically  insoluble  in  water,  and  hence  but  little 
of  it  can  be  contained  in  the  preparation.  Eudermol  is  a  name 
given  to  nicotin  salicylate  and  its  use  externally  has  been  rec- 
ommended in  scabies,  chronic  eczema,  and  other  skin  diseases. 
This  being  practically  the  only  medicinal  constituent  given  in 
the  formula,  its  determination  in  gonococcide  was  taken  up  in 
the  Association  laboratory.  Tests,  however,  failed  to  show  the 
presence  of  this  or  any  other  alkaloid.  While  the  addition  of 
iodin  to  a  0.1  per  cent,  nicotin  salicylate  solution  produces  an 
abundant  precipitate,  the  addition  of  iodin  to  a  specimen  of 
gonococcide  produced  no  reaction  whatever.  Further  comment 


220  PROP.\(l.\.\in     FOR     REFUItM 

on  the  formula  seems  to  be  unnecessary. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  2.',,  1907.) 


HEADACHE    CURES 
Harmful  Effects  of  Acetanilid,  Antipyrin  and  Acetphenetidin 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  Bulletin1  No. 
12(5,  issued  July  3,  1900.  sets  forth  the  results  of  an  investiga 
tion  conducted  by  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  with  regard  to  the 
harmful  effects  of  acetanilid,  antipyrin  and  acetphenetidin. 
During  recent  years  the  use  of  these  remedies  and  prepara- 
tions containing  them  by  the  people  at  large,  without  the  su- 
pervision of  the  physician,  has  increased  rapidly  and  investi- 
gation has  shown  that  coincidently  there  has  been  a  marked 
increase  in  the  number  of  cases  of  poisoning  reported,  in  the 
number  of  fatalities,  and  in  the  number  of  instances  of 
habitual  use. 

Since  the  passage  of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  June  30.  1906, 
the  attention  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  has  been  di- 
rected to  this  subject,  particularly  in  connection  with  the 
branding  of  drug  products  containing  one  or  more  of  these 
agents,  and  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  obtain  full  and  reli- 
able data  with  regard  to  their  poisonous  qualities  with  the 
object  of  furnishing  information  to  the  public  which  would 
enable  them  to  understand  that  these  remedies  should  be  em- 
ployed with  caution  in  the  absence  of  reliable  medical  advice. 

The  investigation  was  conducted  along  two  lines:  First, 
an  inquiry  addressed  to  medical  practitioners  in  the  United 
States  with  regard  to  their  personal  experience  with  these 
drugs;  and,  second,  the  study  of  the  cases  of  poisoning  re- 
corded in  medical  literature.  Nearly  a  thousand  letters,  each 
containing  eighteen  questions,  were  addressed  by  the  depart- 
ment to  physicians  throughout  the  country,  the  object  being 
to  secure  information  which  would  represent  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible the  conditions  existing  among  the  people  at  large  so  far 
as  the  harmful  effects  of  the  drugs  in  question  are  concerned. 
Four  hundred  replies  were  received. 

The  information  obtained  with  regard  to  the  number  of  in- 
stances quoted  in  medical  literature  in  which  poisoning,  death, 
or  habitual  use  has  been  known^  to  result  from  the  adminis- 
tration of  acetanilid,  antipyrin,  and  acetphenetidin  is  set  forth 
in  Section  A  of  the  accompanying  table.  The  information 
summarized  in  Section  B  is  based  on  the  data  submitted  by 
physicians.  Granting  that  the  525  physicians  who  did  not 
reply  had  no  cases  to  report,  the  question  may  profitably  be 
asked,  if  925  physicians  have  observed  814  cases  of  poisoning 
by  these  drugs,  28  deaths  which  are  attributed  to  their  use, 

1.  The  Harmful  Effects  of  Acetanilid.  Antipyrin  and  Phenacetfn. 
by  L.  F.  Kebler,  Ph.G.,  M.D.,  chief  Division  of  Drugs,  Bureau  of 
Chemistry,  with  the  collaboration  of  Drs.  F.  P.  Morgan  and  Philip 
Rupp,  assistant  chemists. 


I//M7,'/,/,  i  v/-;orx     \nsTltUU8  221 

and  130  instances  of  habitual  use,  how  many  such  cases  have 
in  all  probability  been  observed  by  the  125,000  physicians 
scattered  throughout  the  United  States?  The  summary,  C, 
includes  both  the  number  of  cases  recorded  in  medical  litera- 
ture and  those  reported  by  physicians. 

POISONING  BY.  ACETANILID,  ANTIPYRIN  AND  PIIENACETIN 
A. — CASES   RECORDED    IN    MEDICAL   LITERATUHE 

HABITUAL 
POISONING.       DEATH.  USE. 

Acetanilid 297  13  32 

Antipyrin 488  10 

Acetphenetidin     70  3  1 

Total     855  26  33 

B. — DATA  SUBMITTED  BY  PHYSICIANS  HABITUAI 

POISONING.       DEATH.  USE. 

Acetanilid    614  16  112 

Antipyrin    105  5  7 

Acetphenetidin    95  7  17 

Total 814  28  136 

C. — TOTAL  NUMBER  OF  CASES  HABITUAI 

POISONING.       DEATH.  USE. 

Acetanilid    911  29  144 

Antipyrin 593  15  7 

Acetphenetidin    165  10  18 


169 


The  bulletin  contains  information  with  regard  to  dosage, 
the  extent  to  which  these  drugs  are  employed  by  physicians, 
poisoning  and  habitual  use,  the  nature  of  the  ill  effects  pro- 
duced, etc.  It  also  contains  references  to  the  recorded  cases 
of  poisoning,  together  with  a  brief  abstract  of  each  case. 
—(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  31,  1909.) 

Sanatoriums  and  the  Acetanilid  Habit 

To  the  Editor: — I  enclose  herewith  a  "form"  letter  and  ques- 
tion blank  which  I  received  recently  from  St.  Louis.  I  may 
be  entirely  too  wary  but  I  am  suspicious  that  this  is  a  collec- 
tion of  "statistics"  to  combat  the  work  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession in  educating  the  physician  and  the  laity  in  the  harm- 
fulness  of  acetanilid  and  similar  preparations. 

G.  H.  BEXTOX,  M.D.,  Chester,  W.  Va. 

Sterling-Worth  Sanitarium. 

COMMENT:  The  letter  which  Dr.  Benton  encloses  is  in  fac- 
simile form  and  purports  to  come  from  Uriel  S.  Boone,  M.D., 
of  St.  Louis,  who  states  that  he  is  "preparing  an  exhaustive 
article  for  publication  in  a  leading  medical  journal"  on  the 


222  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

question,  "Is  acetanilid  a  habit-forming  drug?"  To  obtain  the 
necessary  data  Dr.  Boone  is  "writing  to  every  hospital  and 
sanitarium  in  the  United  States."  Examination  of  the  ques- 
tion blank  which  accompanies  the  form  letter  discloses  the 
fact  that  information  is  wanted  regarding  not  aeetanilid  alone, 
but  also  antipyrin  and  acetphenetidin  (phenacetin).  The  last 
question  asked  runs  as  follows: 

"If  your  records  [of  cases  of  habitual  use  of  these  drugs]  are 
incomplete,  would  you  allow  a  reputable  physician  to  Investigate 
the  above  mentioned  cases  so  that  he  could  write  with  pofsitiveness 
about  them,  and,  if  necessary,  make  oath  to  the  truth  of  his 
reportf"  [Italics  ours. — ED.] 

Dr.  Boone  opines  that  the  recipients  of  his  queries  "may 
hesitate  to  answer"  the  question  just  quoted,  but  he  trusts 
that  its  importance  will  be  evident  when  he  explains  that 
"it  is  currently  reported  that  the  manufacturers  of  acetanilid, 
phenacetin,  etc.,  have  decided  to  prosecute  all  libelers  of  these 
drugs"  [Italics  again  ours. — ED.]  and  he  wishes  to  make  no 
statement  that  he  "can  not  substantiate  under  oath."  Surely 
the  life  of  the  collector  of  medical  statistics  is  unusually 
hazardous. 

For  the  purpose  of  aiding  Dr.  Boone  in  his  arduous  search 
for  truth  on  the  "much  mooted  question,  'Is  acetanilid  a  habit- 
forming  drug?'"  we  direct  his  attention  to  a  work  that  should 
prove  of  invaluable  assistance.  We  refer  to  Bulletin  126  of 
the  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  entitled  "The  Harmful  Effects  of 
Acetanilid,  Antipyrin  and  Phenacetin."  This  interesting  study 
to  which  we  have  previously  called  attention,  records  112  cases 
of  the  acetanilid-habit.  Of  this  number,  at  least  50,  or  44.6 
per  cent,  of  the  cases  were  those  of  patients  who  took  proprie- 
tary preparations  of  the  drug. 

From  this  we  would  not  wish  to  give  any  bias  to  Dr. 
Boone's  statistics.  We  hardly  expect,  however,  that  such  will 
be  the  case.  Dr.  Boone's  name  appears  as  the  author  of  an 
article  entitled.  "A  Therapeutic  Study  of  Antikamnia  and 
Heroin  Tablets"— an  article  that  has  been  very  extensively 
"quoted"  and  has  been  sent  out  in  its  entirety  by  the  Anti- 
kamnia Chemical  Company.  Under  these  circumstances  we 
may  be  forgiven  if  we  venture  the  opinion  that  Dr.  Boone  is 
not  likely  to  be  unduly  prejudiced  against  "headache  tablets" 
in  general  and  fake  "synthetic"  coal-tar  mixtures  in  particular. 
We  await  with  breathless  interest  the  appearance  of  Dr. 
Boone's  "exhaustive  article"  and  we  must  confess  to  some 
degree  of  curiosity  regarding  the  name  of  the  "leading  medical 
journal"  in  which  these  invaluable  data  will  appear. —  (Modi- 
fied from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  Ut,  1909.) 


HYDRONAPHTHOL 

A  correspondent  having  requested  information  regarding  the 
composition  of  "Hydronaphthol,"  the  product  was  investigated 
in  the  Association  laboratory  which  reports  as  follows: 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  223 

Hydronaphthol  is  sold  by  Seabury  &  Johnson.  The  label  on 
a  trade  package  of  Hydronaphthol  gives  no  clew  as  to  the 
nature  of  the  product.  The  statements  on  the  labels  do,  how- 
ever, make  the  claim  that  Hydronaphthol  is  an  antiseptic  of 
great  power,  also  that  it  is  non-toxic  and  therefore  may  be 
used  with  impunity;  thus  the  following  statements  are  made: 

"A  harmless,  practically  odorless,  non-poisonous,  non-corrosive 

fintiseptic " 

".     .     .     it    is    non-poisonous    and    can    be    employed    with 
perfect  immunity  as  a  preservative    .     .    .    ." 

The  substance  has  the  characteristic  appearance,  odor  and 
taste  of  naphthol.  It  responded  to  all  the  tests  of  the  United 
States  Pharmacopeia  for  betanaphthol,  with  the  exception  of 
the  melting  point,  which  was  found  to  be  119  C.  instead  of 
122  C.,  an  indication  of  impurity.  It  is  evident,  therefore, 
that  Hydronaphthol  is  merely  a  trade-name  for  betanaphthol. 
While  resublimed  betanaphthol  is  listed  at  10  cents  an  ounce, 
Hydronaphthol  is  listed  at  75  cents  an  ounce. 

Hydronaphthol  thus  furnishes  one  more  illustration  of  the 
fact  that  most  proprietary  medicines  for  which  the  most 
extravagant  claims  are  made  are  but  old  and  well-known 
remedies  sold  under  a  fancy  name  at  a  price  far  in  advance 
of  that  charged  for  the  constituent  or  constituents.  The 
exploiters  are  extremely  positive  in  their  statements  regard- 
ing the  non-toxic  character  of  the  preparation.  Yet,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  betanaphthol  is  by  no  means  harmless;  it 
has  been  absorbed  by  the  diseased  skin  with  injury  to  the 
kidney  and  with  fatal  results.  In  some  cases  injury  to  the 
eye  has  also  occurred.  These  toxic  actions  should  be  known 
to  the  practitioner.  From  3  to  4  gm.  (1  dram)  applied  to 
the  skin  has  produced  death  (Stern:  Therap.  Monatshefte, 
1900,  p.  165).  When  a  manufacturer  advertises  a  prepara- 
tion which  possesses  potentialities  for  harm,  and  especially 
when  he  puts  it  out  under  a  name  which  conceals  its  identity, 
it  is  incumbent  on  him  to  warn  the  customer  of  possible 
injurious  or  inconvenient  actions  instead  of  proclaiming  that 
the  preparation  is  harmless. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Sept.  3,  1910.) 


HYDROZONE  AND  TONGALINE 

Hydrozone 

The  moral  principle  governing  the  action  of  secret  proprie- 
tary and  patent  medicine  men  is  an  unknown  quantity;  some- 
times it  would  seem  to  be  a  negative  one.  Just  how  much 
lower  in  the  scale  of  humanity  a  man  can  go  than  to  prey  on 
the  fears  of  a  people  in  the  time  of  a  terrible  epidemic  for 
the  sake  of  a  few  dollars  we  do  not  know.  There  may  be 
something  more  despicable,  but  what  is  it?  Two  weeks  ago 
we  referred  to  the  cold-blooded  methods  of  the  Peruna  people: 


224 


this  week  we  reproduce  an  advertisement  from  the  New  Or- 
leans States  that  tells  another  story  of  man's  inhumanity  to 
man. 

This  brings  up  the  problem  that  we  are  trying  to  solve,  viz. : 
''What  is  the  difference  between  a  'secret  proprietary  medicine' 
advertised  in  medical  journals  to  physicians  and  a  'patent 
medicine'  advertised  in  newspapers  to  the  public?"  Hydrozone 
is  being  advertised  in  nearly  all  medical  journals,  and  at  the 
same  time  in  newspapers.  Where  shall  we  place  it?  And 


Hydrozone 

Positive  Preventive  o» 

Yellow  Fever 

A  scientific,  absolutely  harmless 
germicide,  universally  indorsed  and 
successfully  used  by  the  best  physi- 
cians. 'You  can  absolutely  safeguard 
yourself  apainst  the  fever  by  taking 
a  fenspoonful  of  HydrOzonc  in  each 
tumbler  of  \y?,ter  you  drink.  Sold  by 
best  druggists.  None  genuine  with- 
out my  signature. 


63  E  Prince  Street,  N.Y. 


f REE— Send  for"  How  to  prei 
disease  '/ami  sp«ml  instructions 
*nd  cur*  YELLOW  FFi 


cnt  and  cure 
how.  lo  avoid 


if  hydrozone,  with  the  methods  recently  adopted  to  exploit  it, 
is  tolerated  in  the  medical  press,  why  not  peruna? 

Tongaline 

Tongaline,  too,  is  good  for  yellow  fever  if  we  are  to  believe 
the  absurd  claims  made  by  its  enterprising  salesmen.  Here 
is  the  advertisement  from  current  medical  journals: 

Stegomyia  fasciata  has  produced  an  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  In 
certain  sections  of  Louisiana  and  adjoining  states. 

Stegomyia  punctata  has  Inoculated  thousands  with  virulent 
malarial  germs  throughout  the  balance  of  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Tongaline,  Mellier,  in  one  of  its  forms  as  indicated,  antagonizes 
and  destroys  the  effects  of  these  parasites  on, account  of  its  extra- 
ordinary eliminative  action  on  the  liver,  the  bowels,  the  kidneys  and 
the  pores,  whereby  the  poison  is  promptly  and  thoroughly  expelled. 
For  full  literature,  etc.  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  2.7, 
1906.) 


IODONUCLEOID 

An  lodin  Product  Under  a  Misleading  Name 
Information    lias    been    frequently    asked    concerning    lodo- 
nucleoid,  a  product  not  included  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Reme- 
dies.     The    Association    Laboratory    after    investigating    this 
preparation   reported   as   follows: 

This  preparation  was  at  one  time  considered  for  inclusion 
with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  and  at  that  time  was 
examined  in  this  laboratory.  The  examination  showed  that 
iodonucleoid  contains : 

Phosphorus 0.79  per  cent. 

Calcium    0.43  per  cent. 

(Equal  to  0.6  per  cent.  CaO). 

lodin    24.2  per  cent. 

When  2  gm.  was  dissolved  in  tenth-normal  potassium 
hydroxid  volumetric  solution  and  acetic  acid  added  until 
faintly  acid,  an  abundant,  white,  flocculent  precipitate  formed. 
This  precipitate  was  collected,  washed  with  water,  transferred 
to  a  beaker,  phenolphthalein  added  and  tenth-normal  potas- 
sium hydroxid  volumetric  solution  run  in  until  a  pink  color 
was  produced.  This  required  15  c.c.  of  tenth-normal  alkali. 
Subtracting  from  the  2  gm.  of  iodonucleoid  the  24  per  cent, 
iodin,  leaves  1.52  gm.;  this  divided  by  the  c.c.  of  alkali  used 
indicates  an  equivalent  weight  of  1013. 

Authorities  differ  widely  regarding  the  amount  of  phos- 
phorus contained  in  nuclein  from"  different  sources,  the  figures 
ranging  from  2.9  per  cent,  to  as  high  as  10  per  cent.  If  the 
nuclein  from  which  iodonucleoid  purports  to  be  made  contained 
but  2.9  per  cent,  phosphorus,  the  preparation,  after  allowing 
for  24  per  cent,  iodin,  should  still  contain  2.2  per  cent,  phos- 
phorus instead  of  the  0.79  per  cent,  found  by  analysis.  .A 
true  nuclein  should  contain  no  calcium.  If  iodonucleoid  is  u 
casein  compound  of  iodin  we  might  expect  to  find,  if  the 
casein  had  been  freed  from  milk  by  acidulation  without  fur- 
ther purification,  both  calcium  and  phosphorus.  The  equivalent 
weight  of  casein  is  given  by  Long  (Jour.  Am.  Chem.  Soc.,  1906, 
xxviii,  372)  as  1124.  This  figure  was  obtained  on  a  casein 
of  high  purity,  and  the  figure  of  1013  given  above  agrees 
fairly  well  with  Long's  figure  for  casein.  The  evidence,  there- 
fore, indicates  that  iodonucleoid  is  a  compound  of  iodin  and 
casein,  and  not  a  nuclein  compound. 

The  findings  of  the  laboratory  were  at  that  time  submitted 
to  Prof.  John  H.  Long  of  Northwestern  University,  who  said: 
"We  have  also  made  a  number  of  examinations  of 
iodonucleoid.  We  determined  in  it  the  iodin  and  found 
the  amount  24.2  per  cent,  by  weight,  which  is  a  little 
more  than  that  claimed  by  the  manufacturer.  We  have 
also  tested  the  solubility  of  this  substance  and  find  it  to 
behave  about  as  your  laboratory  did.  As  you  know,  we  have 
been  making  a  number  of  preparations  from  casein,  and 
recently  we  have  determined  the  combining  power  of 
casein  with  various  acids,  including  hydriodic  acid.  Tliis 
acid  when  evaporated  in  moderately  strong  solution  with 


226  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

casein  yields  finally  a  hard,  dry  mass,  which  may  be 
ground  up  to  a  powder  resembling  very  closely  the  prep- 
aration under  discussion.  Various  amounts  of  iodin  may 
be  combined  here,  depending  on  the  strength  of  the  iodin 
solution  used,  and  we  have  secured  some  containing  over 
35  per  cent,  of  iodin.  Several  of  these  preparations 
resemble  closely  iodonucleoid,  so  far  as  solubility,  appear- 
ance and  reaction  with  alkalies  on  titration  are  concerned. 
I  am  unable,  therefore,  to  distinguish  this  preparation 
from  the  casein  compounds  which  we  are  making." 

From  this  it  would  appear  that  iodonucleoid  is  not  a  com- 
pound of  nuclein,  as  indicated  by  the  name,  but  instead  is 
a  casein  compound  of  iodin. 

Iodonucleoid,  then,  seems  to  be  another  one  of  the  many 
iodin  "substitutes"  which  have  been  put  on  the  market.  Other 
iodin  substitutes  are  lodalbin,  manufactured  by  Parke,  Davis 
&  Co.;  lodipin,  manufactured  by  E.  Merck  &  Co.,  and  Sajodin, 
manufactured  by  the  Farbenfabriken  of  Elberfeld  Co.  As 
these  products  have  been  examined  by  the  Council  and  found 
eligible  for  inclusion  with  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies,  phy- 
sicians who  wish  to  use  substitutes  for  potassium  iodid  would 
do  well  to  use  them  instead  of  a  product  presented  under  a 
misleading  name.  Physicians  should  understand,  however. 
that  these  organic  iodin  compounds  are  non-irritating  because 
the  iodin  is  held  in  such  combination  that  it  is  much  less 
active.  It  seems  probable  that  they  are  therapeutically  active 
only  to  the  extent  that  the  iodin  content  is  dissociated  from 
the  organic  compound  and  converted  into  ionic  iodin. 

A  discussion  of  a  number  of  iodin  substitutes  is  found  in  an 
article  by  von  Notthafft  (Monatsh.  f.  Prakt.  Dermat.,  Oct.  15, 
1910,  p.  343),  which  was  abstracted  and  commented  on  in  THE 
JOURNAL,  March  4,  1911,  p.  685.  Von  Notthafft  believes  that 
the  lower  degree  of  toxicity  which  these  remedies  exhibit  has 
its  basis  in  a  feebler  activity;  either  the  substitutes  evolve  top 
little  iodin  or  they  split  it  off  with  greater  difficulty.  Physi- 
cians should,  therefore,  view  with  some  distrust  the  claims  of 
manufacturers  that  their  products  are  not  only  non-irritating 
but  at  the  same  time  possess  unusual  therapeutic  efficiency. 
This  will  apply  with  especial  force  if  there  is  any  tendency  to 
conceal  the  nature  or  origin  of  the  combination. —  (The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  July  22,  1911.) 


IRIDIUM 

Dr.  C.  A.  Dexter,  Columbus,  Ga.,  asks  for  information  con- 
cerning the  use  of  iridium  in  the  treatment  of  acute  and 
chronic  rheumatism.  Iridium  is  a  well-known  element 
although  we  have  not  found  that  it  has  been  used  as  a  med- 
icine; however,  we  presume  our  correspondent  refers  to 
"Iridium  (Medicinal),"  sold  by  the  Platinum  Company  of 


NOSTRUMS  227 

America.  We  art  not  able  to  locate  this  company,  but  in  their 
advertising  circular  "Iridium  (Medicinal)"  is  said  to  be  "an 
agent  for  the  blood,  a  laxative,  an  alterative,  indicated  in  all 
disorders  of  the  stomach,  in  Jacksonian  epilepsy,"  and  "a 
specific  in  rheumatism."  As  to  its  origin,  it  is  said  in  the 
circular,  "the  platinum  sands  are  associated  with  and  com- 
posed of  iridium"  and  some  other  elements,  so  that  as  far  as 
the  circular  gives  information  the  nostrum  is  alleged  to  con- 
tain the  element  iridium. 

A  few  statements  quoted  from  the  circular  will  show  that 
the  person  who  wrote  it  knows  nothing  about  medicine  and 
cannot  correctly  use  the  English  language:  "The  qualifications 
of  Medicinal  Iridium  are  its  simplicity,  purity,  harmless  under 
prolonged  use,  easily  borne  by  the  stomach."  "It  has  been 
observed  that  when  Medicinal  Iridium  acts  as  a  laxative,  it 
will  regulate  the  same."  "Called  the  family  group,  Iridium 
and  Osmium  are  destined  to  become  the  world's  benefactors 
in  medicinal  properties,  thereby  creating  a  new  chapter  in 
medical  science."  The  circular  quotes  some  supposed  "excerpts 
from  hundreds  of  letters  on  file,  written  by  physicians,  in  the 
hope  they  may  attract  your  attention,"  which  bear  marks  of 
having  been  written  by  the  same  person  who  wrote  the  cir- 
cular. Note  the  quality  of  the  following  statements:  "Iridium 
lias  a  power,  purity  and  simplicity  that  pleases  me;  now  I  can 
make  progress."  "I  say  to  you  frankly,  Iridium  is  my  stand- 
ard. I  can  get  results  and  make  progress.  I  am  confident  it 
aids  the  fibrin  in  the  blood."  "Dr.  X.  is  pushing  Iridium  on 
five  or  six  cases."  It  is  not  explained  who  Dr.  X.  is,  but  it 
has  this  to  say  about  him:  "Dr.  X.  is  an  eminent  practi- 
tioner. He  has  made  a  remarkable  record  with  Iridium  and 
lias  so  far  never  failed  on  cases  of  Jacksonian  epilepsy;  experi- 
mental tests  have  shown  that  Iridium  increases  blood-cor- 
puscles." 

The  man  who  signs  himself  president  of  the  Platinum  Com- 
pany of  America  is  said  to  be  a. lawyer,  but  is  not  working 
at  it,  and  was  formerly  a  promoter,  fiscal  agent,  etc.  It 
should  not  be  difficult  for  the  physician  to  fix  the  status  of 
iridium  under  this  sort  of  exploitation. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  April  23,  1910.) 


IRON   TROPON 

The  composition  of  Iron  Tropon  seems  to  have  varied 
from  time  to  time.  The  manufacturers  formerly  stated 
that  it  contained  fat,  sugar,  pepsin  and  iron  in  organic 
combination  with  albumin,  and  its  use  was  advocated  both  as 
a  food  and  as  a  medicine.  It  was  not  claimed  to  contain  over 
1  per  cent,  of  pepsin,  but  tests  failed  to  show  that  it  contained 
any  pepsin,  or  if  any,  such  a  small  amount  that  there  was  not 
sufficient  to  digest  the  albumin  in  Iron  Tropon  itself.  It  was 


228  PHO  PAG  ANITA     FOJ{     ItKFoif.M 

also  claimed  that  the  iron,  being  in  organic  combination  with 
the  albumin,  possessed  advantages  over  the  widely  used 
aromatic  fluid  preparations  of  iron.  Tests,  however,  showed 
that  the  iron  was  not  in  organic  combination,  though  even 
had  it  been,  late  investigations  fail  to  demonstrate  the  super- 
iority of  the  organic  over  inorganic  iron  compounds. 

The  manufacturers  state  in  their  later  "literature"  that  Iron 
Tropon  is  a  tonic  and  a  food;  that  it  is  a  compound  of  the 
food  albumin  tropon,  2.5  per  cent,  of  iron  in  its  most  assimil- 
able form,  and  enough  chocolate  to  flavor  it  agreeably.  It  will 
be  noted  that  they  now  make  no  claim  for  pepsin,  nor  do  they 
state  that  it  contains  iron  in  organic  form.  In  the  dose  recom- 
mended, a  teaspoonful  three  times  a  day  for  an  adult,  the 
patient  gets  something  over  a  grain  of  iron,  and  he  might  as 
well  take  an  equivalent  quantity  of  Blaud's  mass,  the  value  of 
which  has  been  proved. 

As  a  food,  Iron  Tropon,  weight  for  weight,  is  about  equal 
to  beans  and  a  little  better  than  flour,  although  it  contains  a 
larger  percentage  of  protein  than  either.  In  the  dose  stated, 
an  invalid  would  get  about  50  calories,  or  about  1/40  the 
necessary  nourishment  for  a  day.  Tests  also  have  shown  that 
the  albumin  is  difficult  of  digestion.  In  spite  of  this  fact,  the 
advertisement  of. Iron  Tropon  states:  "A  patient  who  takes 
Iron  Tropon  receives  not  only  the  benefit  of  iron  medication, 
but  at  the  same  time  his  economy  is  supplied  with  perfectly 
assimilable  albumin  in  sufficient  quantity."  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  the  claim  for  pepsin  in  this  preparation  has  been 
abandoned,  that  the  statement  as  to  the  iron  being  in  organic 
form  has  been  modified,  and  that  the  food  value  of  the  albumin 
is  exaggerated;  but  perhaps  the  manufacturers  do  not  expect 
the  physician  to  apply  his  arithmetic  to  such  problems. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  23,  1910.). 


JAROMA 
A  New  Name  for  an  Old  Drug 

It  has  been  frequently  pointed  out  that  most  nostrums 
contain  well-known  products  as  their  essential  constituents. 
These  are  often  disguised  under  fanciful  names  and  sold 
under  extravagant  claims  and  at  exorbitant  prices.  As  exam- 
ples may  be  mentioned: 

Cane  sugar  for  curing  tuberculosis  (Hydrocine,  Oleozone, 
Oxydase). 

Milk  sugar  for  hay  fever   (Plantoxine) . 

Epsom  salt  for  "softening  the  skin"    (Spurmax). 

Boric  acid  for  deodorizing  purposes  (Amolin  deodorant 
powder ) . 

About  eighteen  months  ago  the  attention  of  THE  JOURNAL 
was  called  to  a  preparation  called  "Jaroma,"  marketed  by 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  229 

the  Jaroma  Company  of  New  York  City,  and  advertised  to 
physicians  as  a  specific  for  sleeplessness.  The  general  tone  of 
the  reading  matter  indicated  that  Jaroma  probably  belonged  to 
the  same  class  of  humbugs  as  Oleozone  and  Plantoxine.  As 
the  efforts  of  the  promoters  at  that  time  appeared  to  be 
devoted  more  assiduously  to  the  sale  of  Jaroma  Company  stock 
than  to  the  exploitation  of  the  remedy,  it  was  not  considered 
worth  while  to  make  an  analysis  of  the  preparation.  Recently, 
however,  an  advertising  campaign  for  the  sale  of  the  remedy 
has  been  inaugurated  both  in  the  lay  and  to  a  limited  degree 
in  the  medical  press.  A  quarter-page  advertisement  has  been 
appearing  in  medical  journals  often  supplemented  by  a 
"reader"  which  still  further  sets  forth  the  supposed  merits 
of  the  nostrum.  In  the  advertisements  in  the  daily  papers 
the  assertion  is  made  that  Jaroma  is  indorsed  by  the  medical 
profession  and  in  support  of  this,  parts  of  the  "reading 
notices"  from  the  medical  journals  are  quoted.  Once  more 
then  we  have  the  edifying  spectacle  of  medical  journals  lend- 
ing their  pages  to  the  exploitation  of  a  fraudulent  "patent 
medicine"  and  aiding  and  abetting  in  humbugging  the  public. 
One  medical  journal  which  carries  advertisements  for  this 
nostrum  describes  Jaroma  in  part  as  follows: 

"Recently  a  new  hypnotic  has  become  available  to  the  profession 
and  careful  investigation  seems  to  indicate  that  an  ideal  sleep- 
producer  has  been  discovered.  This  new  product,  called  Jaroma,  is 
of  vegetable  origin  and  is  obtained  from  a  gum  resin,  in  turn 
secured  from  narthex,  a  species  of  unbelliferous  plant  grown  in 
provinces  of  Persia  and  Beloochistan.  This  gum  resin  from  which 
Jaroma  is  prepared  has  long  been  used  in  the  Orient  for  special 
purpose,  while  in  Great  Britain  it  has  been  successfully  employed 
medicinally  as  an  antispasmodic. 

"Through  the  use  of  Jaroma  in  appropriate  dosage,  natural  sleep 
is  obtained  from  which  in  four  to  eight  hours  a  patient  awakens 
refreshed  and  vigorous.  No  after-effect  is  produced  and  this  eligible 
remedy  is  totally  devoid  of  any  depressing  or  toxic  action.  Its  full 
physiological  effect  can  be  obtained  as  long  as  necessary  without 
having  to  increase  the  dose  and  it  has  no  habit-forming  tendencies." 

The  circulars  accompanying  the  nostrum  are  evidently 
intended  for  the  laity,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following: 

"Are  you  nervous?  Take  Jaroma  Vegetable  Tablets." 
"Can't  you  sleep?  Take  Jaroma  Vegetable  Tablets." 
"Jaroma  Vegetable  Tablets,  the  new  &  wonderful  specific  for  the 

•AMERICAN  DISEASE'  NERVOUSNESS  in  its  verious  forms." 

"...     Jaroma  is  the  needed  special  nerve  food  to  counteract 

the  special  strain  of  modern  American  business  and  social  life." 
For  the  discovery  of  the  Jaroma  formula  we  are  indebted  to  an 

eminent    German    Nerve   Specialist    who   has   had    most    gratifying 

results  from  this  compound  in  his  private  practice." 

Jaroma  having  gone  to  the  medical  profession  its  examina- 
tion was  taken  up  by  the  Association's  chemists  who  reported 
as  follows: 

Narthex,  the  alleged  source  of  Jaroma,  is  a  nearly  obsolete 
name  for  a  genus  of  plants  from  some  species  of  which  the 
well-known  drug  asafetida  is  obtained.  Physicians  who  are 
familiar  with  the  origin  or  sources  of  drugs  will  have  little 


230 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


difficulty  in  recognizing  this  substance  from  the  mysterious 
description  given  in  the  "readers"  that  appear  in  certain  med- 
ical journals,  while  no  one  could  fail  in  identifying  it  by 
breaking  one  of  the  Jaroma  tablets! 

It  is  put  up  in  tablet  form  in  packages  to  be  retailed  at  10, 
25  and  50  cents,  the  IQ-cent  size  containing  two  and  the  50- 
cerit  size  twelve  of  the  tablets. 


Contains 

pldne  or  Other  Habit 
Forming  Drugs. 


or  sleepless  nights  the  greal 
les  In  their  resorting  to  rem- 
it contain  morphine,  oplatee 

poisonous  and  habit  forming 
•hese  are  the  remedies  physl- 
re  obliged  to  prescribe  before 
.rkable  results  obtained  from 
a  purely  vegetabl.  tablet,  be- 

IB  'of    the 


}     "TREATMENT  OP  INSOMNIA 
)  Immediate    treatment.      It   very    often 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced  about  one-half)  of  typical 
advertisements  of  Jaroma.  On  the  left  is  the  advertisement  that 
has  appeared  in  such  medical  journals  as  the  International  Journal 
of  Surgery,  American,  Medicine.  Medical  Council,  American  ./<>i<i'>i<il 
of  Clinical  Medicine,  and  possibly  others  ;  on  the  right  is  a  typical 
newspaper  advertisement.  This  particular  one  appeared  in  the 
Buffalo  Evening  Times. 

Qualitative  tests  demonstrated  that  the  medicinal  portion 
of  the  tablets  consists  of  asafetida,  calcium  sulphate  (gyp- 
sum) and  powdered  capsicum,  the  greater  proportion  consist- 
ing of  the  two  former  ingredients.  The  absence  of  hypnotic 
alkaloids,  bromids  and  chloral  was  demonstrated  and  other 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  231 

hypnotics  such  as  diethyl-barbaturic  acid  (veronal)  and  sul- 
phonmethane  (sulphonal)  were  not  found.  Although  no  exact 
quantitative  separations  were  made  it  is  believed  that  a  tablet 
containing  asafetida  3  grains,  gypsum  2  grains  and  capsicum 
1/10  grain,  would  have  properties  similar  to  Jaroma.  As 
gypsum  has  been  frequently  employed  as  an  adulterant  of 
asafetida  the  analyst  has  no  means  of  demonstrating  whether 
the  calcium  sulphate  found  in  the  tablets  had  been  added  as 
a  "make-weight"  or  whether  it  is  a  part  of  the  "formula"  of 
the  "eminent  German  Nerve  Specialist." 

Thus  according  to  the  chemists'  report  this  "new  vegetable 
hypnotic"  and  "special  nerve  food"  is,  essentially,  asafetida. 
Although  in  rational  medicine  no  hypnotic  powers  are  claimed 
for  this  drug  it  is  often  prescribed  in  certain  forms  of  hys- 
teria, while  as  a  condiment,  it  has  been  known  and  used  from 
prehistoric  times.  Therefore,  the  only  new  thing  about  the 
stud'  is  its  name  and  the  fraudulent  use  to  which  asafetida  is 
put.  Jaroma  is  another  of  those  nostrums  which  are  used 
to  humbug  both  the  public  and  the  medical  profession. —  (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  2,  1911.) 


KUTNOW'S  POWDER 
Which  is  It,  a  "Proprietary"  or  a  "Patent  Medicine"? 

The  term  "patent  medicine"  has  been  applied,  rather  loosely, 
to  those  nostrums  sold  and  exploited  directly  to  the  public, 
while  the  name  "proprietary"  has  been  given  such  prepara- 
tions as  are  advertised  only  to  the  medical  profession.  As 
has  been  many  times  exemplified  by  reports  in  THE  JOURNAL. 
the  distinction  is  often  a  very  fine  one  and  the  dividing  line 
frequently  reaches  the  vanishing  point. 

It  is  not-  unusual,  for  instance,  for  "proprietary"  prepara- 
tions to  be  foisted  on  the  medical  profession  until  a  certain 
number  of  testimonials  (of  doubtful  value,  it  is  true,  but  still 
testimonials)  have  been  ingeniously  wheedled  out  of  physicians 
and  the  product  rather  generously  prescribed.  WJien  this  ob- 
jective point  has  been  reached  the  manufacturer  comes  into 
the  open  and  advertises  the  nostrum  to  the  public  direct  and 
the  testimonials  previously  given  for  the  "proprietary"  are 
used  as  advertising  assets  for  the  "patent  medicine." 

Then  again  there  are  certain  preparations  which  are  "pro- 
prietaries" or  "patent  medicines"  according  to  the  location. 
On  one  side  of  the  Atlantic  the  product  is  advertised  to  phy- 
sicians only,  while  on  the  other  side  it  runs  indiscriminately 
on  the  billboards  and  in  the  newspapers.  One  of  the  best 
examples  of  this  last  class  is  Kutnow's  Powder.  In  England, 
where  it  originated,  this  preparation  which  "dissolves  and  elim- 
inates uric  acid,"  is  consistently  lined  up  with  Beecham's 


232 


/'/.'o/'.u;.i.y/>.l.     /•»/,'     REFORM 


Pills   and   Pink   Pills   for   Pale   People.      Full-page   newspaper 
advertisements  announce  the  fact  that  free  samples  will  be 


'SENT  TO  ALL  APPLICANTS' 


In  the  United  States,  however,  Kutnow's  have  learned  from 
their  wide  advertising  experience  that  a  cheaper  and  surer 
way  of  introducing  a  nostrum  to  the  public  'is  to  advertise  it 
to  the  medical  profession  only.  By  means  of  advertisements 
in  medical  journals  (whose  space  is  much  less  expensive  than 
that  of  the  daily  papers)  and  the  liberal  distribution  of  sam- 
ples which  are 


'SENT  FREE  TO  PHYSICIANS  ONLY' 


PEARSON'S  WEEKLY  ADVERTISEMENT  SUPPLEMENT. 


ABE  YOU  SORE  YOUR  KIDNEYS  ARE  HEALTHY? 

TO  FLUSH  THE  KIDNEYS       TAKE  KUTNOW'S  POWDER      TEST  IT,  FREE  OF  CHARGE! 


Mra.  A.  L.  Whalley 


KUTNOW'S  POWDER  PREVENTS  KIDNEY  DISEASE 


the  medical  profession  becomes  the  unpaid  "barker"  for  the 
nostrum  manufacturer.  At  present,  therefore,  Kutnow's  Pow- 
der is — in  the  United  States — an  ethical  ( ! )  "proprietary." 

There  exists  in  this  country,  as  most  of  our  readers  know, 
an  organization  of  "patent  medicine"  manufacturers  whose 
"reason  for  being"  is  to  get  full  value  received  for  the  $40,000,- 
000  paid  annually  in  advertising  nostrums  in  the  newspapers 
of  the  country.  This  organization  is  known  as  the  Proprietary 
Association  of  America.  The  now  familiar  "red  clause"  in  the 
advertising  contracts  by  which  the  newspaper  forfeits  its 
contract  if  state  laws  are  enacted  that  are  inimical  to  the 
"patent  medicine"  interests,  is  a  creation  of  this- organization 


M18CELL.\\K<H'H     .VON77.V    Ms  233 

and  has  been  most  effective  in  making  the  newspapers  the 
unpaid  lobbyists  of  the  nostrum  interests.  The  ''silence  clause" 
is  another  "joker"  in  the  contracts  by  which  the  agreement  is 
cancelled  if  matter  detrimental  to  the  nostrum  "is  permitted 
to  appear  in  the  reading  columns"  of  the  paper.  It  is  little 
wonder  that  with  such  weapons  the  "patent  medicine"  manu- 
facturer has  assumed  an  arrogance  that  is  as  disgusting  as  it 
is  serious. 

Great  Britain,  too,  has  its  "patent  medicine"  men's  organiza- 
tion, which  is  known  as  the  Proprietary  Articles  Trades  Asso- 
ciation. Of  both  these  honorable  bodies  Mr.  S.  Kutnow  of 
Kutnow  Brothers,  Ltd.,  is,  or  was,  a  conspicuous  member.  At 
a  recent  meeting  of  the  British  organization,  Mr.  Kutnow 
worked  himself  into  a  fine  frenzy  of  indignation  because  of 
some  articles  that  had  appeared  in  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal 
of  London  on  the  subject  of  "Secret  Remedies  and  Proprie- 
taries." As  these  articles  did  not  specifically  mention  Kut- 
now's  Powder,  and  as  evidence  was  directed  against  only  those 
preparations  as  were  most  disreputable,  it  is  evident  that  Mr. 
Kutnow  now  appraises  his  own  product  at  its  face  value.  He 
gave  his  opinion  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  told  the 
meeting  that  when  the  advertising  man  for  that  journal  solic- 
ited advertising  he  refused  to  have  any  more  dealings  with  him 
owing  to  the  articles  that  had  appeared  in  the  Pharmaceutical 
Journal.  He  declared  that  he  was  quite  independent  of  any 
newspaper  or  journal,  and  was  able  to  take  care  of  himself. 

Therein  Mr.  Kutnow  is  mistaken;  he  is  not  independent  of 
newspapers  and  journals.  On  the  contrary,  he,  and  others  of 
his  ilk,  are  most  subserviently  dependent  on  them.  Let  rep- 
utable papers  and  medical  journals  refuse,  for  but  one  year, 
to  carry  the  high-flown  advertisements  of  his  Anglo-American 
Patent-Proprietary,  and  his  firm  would  perforce  seek  some 
worthier,  if  less  profitable,  line  of  business. 

The  editor  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  resents  Mr.  Kut- 
now's  "implied  assumption  that  by  inserting  paid  announce- 
ments in  the  advertising  columns  of  a  newspaper,  he  or  any 
one  else,  can  dictate  the  policy  of  that  organ." 

"The  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  it  should  be  said,  is  the  official 
organ  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  and  is 
the  most  influential  organ  of  the  drug  trade  in  the  British 
Isles.  It  is  refreshing  to  note,  in  these  days  of  "canned" 
editorials  and  paid  "write-ups"  masquerading  as  original  arti- 
cles, that  there  is  still  to  be  found  a  journal  that  can  not  be 
bought. 

One  wonders  whether  a  large  experience  in  the  advertising 
world,  and  especially  his  membership  in  the  Proprietary  Asso- 
ciation of  America,  has  unconsciously  led  Mr.  Kutnow  to 
assume  that  muzzling  the  press  is  one  of  the  perquisites  of  the 
large  purchasers  of  advertising  space. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  31,  1907.) 


234  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

LYSOL— THE    EVOLUTION    OF    A    PROPRIETARY 

Regarding  certain  proprietary  preparations  and  their  equiv- 
alents found  in  pharmacopeias  or  other  standard  works  of 
reference,  it  is  often  questioned  whether  the  proprietary  is  the 
original  and  the  official  preparation  the  imitation,  or  vice  versa. 
As  a  general  proposition,  medicinal  compounds  and  prepara- 
tions are  not  born  but  evolved,  as  in  the  case  of  epinephrin, 
in  which  the  credit  of  discovery  belongs  to  no  one  person,  but 
to  several.1  So  it  is  often  the  case  that  the  proprietary  and 
official  preparations  may  be  based  one  on  the  other,  while  both 
are  usually  based  on  some  preparation  which  antedates  them. 
This  is  well  illustrated  by  the  proprietary  preparation  Lysol, 
the  practical  equivalent  of  which — liquor  cresolis  compositus 
— is  official  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopeia.  After  the 
discovery  of  phenol  (carbolic  acid)  and  the  recognition  of  its 
germicidal  value,  it  was  gradually  learned  that  other  phenolic 
compounds  occurring  in  the  crude  distillates  from  tar  and 
wood  were  more  efficient  and  less  poisonous  than  phenol  (car- 
bolic acid).  When  this  was  discovered,  attempts  of  course 
were  made  to  utilize  these  higher  and  more  efficient  phenols, 
which  meant  that  their  insolubility  in  water  had  to  be  over- 
come. In  these  attempts  there  were  efforts  to  form  new  com- 
pounds as  well  as  a  search  for  simple  solvents.  While  the  first 
failed,  because  these  compounds  were  less  efficient  than  the 
phenol  from  which  they  were  made,  a  simple  solvent  was 
found  in  soap.  The  first  attempt  to  utilize  the  solvent  power 
of  soap  gave  creolin,  a  mixture  of  the  so-called  crude  carbolic 
acid  (really  containing  but  little  phenol  and  consisting  largely 
of  higher  phenols  along  with  inert  hydrocarbons)  with  soap 
This  was  followed  in  1884  by  Schenkel's  discovery  that  a  por- 
tion of  this  "crude  carbolic  acid"  could  be  made  soluble  in 
water  by  treatment  with  soap.  Schenkel  was  refused  a  patent 
on  the  ground  that  any  soap  manufacturer  should  be  permitted 
to  add  phenol  to  his  soap,  but  in  1889  a  patent  for  a  cresol- 
soap  solution  was  granted  to  Damann,  who  used  cresol,  a  con- 
stituent of  "crude  carbolic  acid."  The  preparation  was  put  on 
the  market  and  has  since  been  widely  advertised  under  the 
proprietary  name  "Lysol."2  It  is  thus  seen  that  Lysol  is  a 
good  example  of  the  way  in  which  manufacturers  appropriate 
the  discoveries  of  others,  develop  them  and  turn  them  to  pro- 
prietary use. 

The  ill-deserved  patent  protection  for  Lysol  happily  expired 
long  ago  and  the  product  can  now  be  made  by  anyone.  In 
view  of  the  non-descriptive  character  of  the  name  "Lysol"  and 
the  danger  in  using  such  names  in  connection  with  potent 
and  poisonous  remedies,  this  cresol-soap  solution  has  been 
admitted  to  pharmacopeias,  not  under  the  original  name 

1.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  March  25,  1911,pp  901,  910. 

2.  Pharm.  Ztg.,  Oct.  14,  1908,  p.  817.- 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  235 

"Lysol,"  but  under  descriptive  names  such  as  that  in  the 
United  States  Pharmacopeia — "liquor  cresolis  compositus." — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  14,  1912.) 


"MAIGNEN    PULV." 

One  of  the  "side-shows"  which  interested  the  throng  on  the 
Board  Walk  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation at  Atlantic  City  was  the  exhibition  of  a  "wonderful" 
antiseptic,  germicide  and  cure-all  whose  virtues  (?)  were  dem- 
onstrated by  means  of  the  microscope.  An  investigation 
showed  that  the  individual  in  charge  took  a  drop  from  a  bottle 
containing  water,  hay  and  some  living  infusoria,  placed  it 
under  the  microscope  on  a  slide  and  then  allowed  a  solution  of 
the  "wonderful"  remedy  to  run  under  the  slide,  when,  mirabile 
dictu,  the  poor  delicate,  harmless  infusoria  shriveled  up  into 
formless  masses.  The  whole  thing  was  so  absurd  and  the  fake 
so  transparent  that  the  subject  was  dismissed  without  further 
thought  by  physicians,  even  though  the  "show"  had  been  set 
up  close  to  the  Exhibition  Hall  with  the  evident  intent  of 
attracting  the  medical  profession.  It  appears,  however,  that 
the  "remedy"  is  being  exploited  to  physicians  in  earnest,  and 
queries  are  being  received  from  physicians  regarding  this  pal- 
pable humbug.  For  this  reason  we  present  the  following  brief 
discussion  of  the  preparation: 

Maignen  Pulv.  is  exploited  by  J.  P.  Maignen,  Philadelphia, 
and  we  are  told  is  "prepared  for  the  physicians  by  the  chemists 
of  the  Maignen  Institute."  An  advertising  circular  tells  us 
that  Maignen  powder  is : 

"...  a  combination  of  harmless  mineral  salts,  whose  individual 
bactericide  power  is  low  in  the  scale  of  antiseptics,  but  whose  col- 
lective power  is  very  high,  by  reason  of  the  reactions  which  take 
place  between  the  different  salts  in  a  moist  environment." 

The  use  of  this  powder  is  recommended  for  a  long  list  of 
diseases  and  for  application  in  various  ways  to  lesions  of  the 
skin  and  subcutaneous  tissues  and  to  the  various  mucous 
membranes  of  the  body.  The  circular  gives  a  report  of  the 
Lederle  Laboratories  of  New  York  which  shows  the  material 
to  possess  a  germicidal  power  3.75  times  as  great  as  that  of 
phenol!  The  circular  says: 

"In  ordinary  Stomach  Troubles  give  the  patient,  whenever  dis- 
tressed, a  cup  of  hot  water  with  half  the  amount  of  powder  lifted 
on  a  dime.  This  will  correct  the  acidity,  stop  the  production  of 
toxins,  and  bring  the  mucous  membrane  to  normal." 

What  are  the  harmless  mineral  salts  from  the  interaction  of 
which  a  powerful  germicidal  effect  is  obtained?  Analysis  made 
in  our  chemical  laboratory  showed  the  powder  to  be  apparently 
a  mixture,  consisting  largely  of  calcium  oxid  or  hydroxid  and 
sodium  carbonate,  which  on  treatment  with  water  results  in  a 
mixture  containing  calcium  carbonate  and  the  strongly  alka- 
line sodium  hydroxid. 


236  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Thus  this  "discovery''  makes  use  of  the  well-known  opera- 
tion of  leaching  a  mixture  of  ashes  and  lime  to  procure  lye, 
except  that  in  this  case  sodium  carbonate  is  used  instead  of 
the  potassium  carbonate  of  the  ashes.  The  germicidal  powers 
of  strong  alkalies  have  long  been  known,  but  the  inconvenience 
of  their  application  to  tissues  and  mucous  membranes  has  pre- 
vented their  use.  That  they  will  be  of  service  when  sufficiently 
diluted  not  to  irritate  the  tissues  is  improbable,  for  the  anti- 
septic power  of  such  solution  is  slight  and  the  disinfectant 
value  practically  nil. 

The  recommendation  for  internal  use  is  absurd  when  we 
consider  that  the  dose  called  for  ("half  the  amount  of  powder 
lifted  on  a  dime")  corresponds  approximately  to  an  amount  of 
alkali  sufficient  to  neutralize  the  acid  in  100  c.c.  of  ordinary 
stomach  contents.  This  quantity  is  less  than  that  present 
after  an  ordinary  meal.  If  the  patient  should  happen  to  have 
just  that  amount  in  the  stomach,  his  symptoms  from  acidity 
would  be  relieved,  but  he  would  have  neither  hydrochloric  acid 
nor  alkali  to  prevent  fermentation;  but  usually  the  amount  of 
stomach  contents  is  much  greater  than  this  and  the  acid  would 
be  only  partially  neutralized  by  the  medicine,  which,  having 
lost  its  alkalinity,  has  also  lost  its  disinfecting  power.  The 
other  claims  made  for  this  wonderful  powder  present  a  sim- 
ilar disregard  of  the  conditions  under  which  it  is  to  be  applied. 

It  is  evident  that  neutralization  with  an  acid  will  completely 
abolish  the  germicidal  power  of  this  preparation.  As  soon  as 
it  is  taken  into  the  acid  stomach  it  has  no  more  power  to 
destroy  germs  than  so  much  salt.  In  view  of  this  it  would 
appear  that  the  medical  profession  will  have  to  look  elsewhere 
than  to  Maignen  Pulv.  for  a  treatment  of  such  diseases  and 
ailments  as  diphtheria,  laryngitis,  whooping-cough,  stomatitis, 
tonsillitis,  mastitis,  intestinal  catarrh,  cholera,  typhoid  fever, 
cholera  morbus,  enteric  fever,  dysentery,  leprosy,  tuberculosis, 
conjunctivitis,  ophthalmia  neonatorum,  anthrax,  epithelioma 
and  gastric  catarrh,  for  all  of  which  it  is  recommended. —  (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  15,  1913.) 


MANOLA 

Physicians  as  Unpaid  Pedlers  of  Nostrums 
One  of  the  most  disheartening  features  of  the  fight  against 
the  proprietary  evil  within  the  profession  is  the  slowness  with 
which  physicians  awake  to  their  responsibilities  in  the  matter. 
It  is  a  notorious  fact,  familiar  to  physician  and  advertising 
man  alike,  that  the  simplest  and  cheapest  way  to  introduce  a 
nostrum  to  the  public  is  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
medical  profession.  Ever  since  the  birth  of  the  proprietary 
evil  in  this  country,  shrewd  manufacturers  have  persuaded 
doctors  to  act  as  unpaid  pedlers  for  their  wretched  nostrums 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


237 


and  to  become  particeps  criminis  in  the  exploitation  of  such 
wares. 

Manola  is  an  alcoholic  nostrum  with  just  enough  more  or 
less  inert  medicinal  products  added  to  exempt  it  from  the 
internal  revenue  tax,  but  not  enough  to  prevent  it  being  used 
as  a  tipple  by  those  who  object  to  taking  their  "toddy"  in  a 
simpler  form.  It  is  prepared  by  the  Luyties  Pharmacy  Com- 
pany of  St.  Louis,  a  homeopathic  concern  whose  hahnemannian 
leanings  are  not  so  strong  but  that  it  is  willing  to  cater  to  the 
various  sectarian  schools  of  medicine  as  well  as  to  the  regular 
profession.  Since  the  promoters  realize,  doubtless,  that  to  put 
this  stuff  out  under  a  homeopathic  label  might  not  be  conducive 
to  stimulating  physicians'  confidence,  Manola  is  labeled:  "Pre- 
pared only  by  the  Manola  Company,  St.  Louis."  In  other 
words,  it  is  the  old  dodge  of  forming  subsidiary  companies  for 
the  purpose  of  hiding  the  identity  of  the  real  owners.  In  this 
connection,  it  is  worth  reminding  our  readers,  incidentally,  that 
the  Walker  Pharmacal  Company,  St.  Louis,  is  another  sub- 
sidiary concern  of  the  Luyties  Pharmacy  Company,  created  for 
the  purpose  of  pushing  another  nostrum — Hymosa. 

Manola  is  seldom  advertised  in  medical  journals.  Instead  the 
Luyties  Pharmacy  Company  has  discovered  a  more  effective 
method  of  "putting  one  over"  on  .physicians  and  druggists.  The 
method  which  has  been  pursued  for  years  and  which,  under  the 
same  title  and  subtitle  that  head  this  article,  was  exposed  in 
THE  JOURNAL  as  long  ago  as  May  6,  1905,  consists  in  sending 
to  physicians  a  letter  containing  three  postcards — unstamped, 
of  course.  With  the  postcards  there  is  a  slip  that  reads : 

INSTRUCTION  FOR  OBTAINING 

3    BOTTLES    OF    MANOLA    FREE 

Dear  Doctor:  Fill  out  the  attached  cards  Nos.  1  and  2.  Mail 
No.  1  to  us  and  hand  Nos.  2  and  3  to  your  druggist.  Impress  upon 
him  the  necessity  of  mailing  postal  card  No.  3  direct  to  us,  and 

not  to  his  jobber.  Yours    trulT 

truly,        THE  MANOLA  COMPANY. 

The  postcards  are  numbered,  respectively,  1,  2  and  3.  Here 
is  No.  1 : 


Mail  This  Card  to  the  Hau.la  Co..  St.  Louis.  Mo. 


Date :. _... ;_.;.-._:....l».  ..„ 

THE  MANOLA  COMPANY 
St.  Lonis.  Mo. 

Gentlemen: 

(  have  requested  Mr , .„ 

druggist,  to  order  one  dozen  bottles  of  MANOLA  for  my  prescriptions 
Please  include  with  his  order  three  bottles  for  me.  as  per  your  offer. 


DP.* 


CHICAGO      IUI 


238  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Dr.  Ezymark  writes  the  name  of  his  druggist  on  Card  1,  puts 
a  stamp  on  it  and  mails  it  to  the  Manola  Company,  alias 
Luyties  Pharmacy  Co. 

Card  2,  addressed  to  his  druggist,  also  is  filled  out  by  Dr 
Ezvmark.  Here  it  is: 


Please  Hand  This  Card  to  Your  Druggist 


Mr  Druggist. 

Please  order  of  the  Manola  Company,  St.  Louis,  ~Mo.,  1  dozen 
bottles  of  Manola.  all  of  which  1  agree  to- prescribe  in  my  practice. 
By  filling  out  card  No.  3  and  forwarding  it  to  the  Manola  Company, 
St.  Louis.  Mo.,  they  will  include  for  me,  with  your  order,  three  bottles 
of  Manola,  free,  for  clinical  purposes.. 

Yours  truly, 

_ M.D 

Town ..—• ~ 


Then  the  doctor,  acting  the  part  of  errand-boy,  delivers  Card 
2  and  also  Card  3  to  his  druggist.   Here  is  Card  3: 


x--v 

1       «"»        |    PLEA! 

V         J 

1  FILL  OUT  AND  MAIL  THIS  CARD  TO  THE  MANOLA  CO., 
ST.  LOUIS.  MO..  NOT  TO  YOUR  JOBBER 

THE  MANOLA  CO 
Gentlemen: 
Please  chip  ™e  ai 

1  dozen  MANOLA.. 
Ji  dozen  MANOLA, 
Ship  through  my  jobb 

Date                                                           .19—  ------ 

MPANY.  St.  LonU.  Mo. 
jer  your  offer 
at  $8  00  per  dozen 

free,  for  Dr.              

*'•               Signed                                          Druggist. 

I  Town  
State 

Town 

This,  Mr.  Goat,  the  druggist,  has  to  fill  out,  affix  a  stamp 
and  send  to  the  Manola  Company.  In  return  for  all  this,  Mr. 
Goat  has  his  shelves  loaded  up  with  a  dozen  bottles  of  Manola 
and,  for  that  privilege  pays  $8  out  of  his  own  pocket.  Dr. 
Ezymark  gets  three  free  bottles.  Incidentally,  he  also  gets  the 
contempt  of  his  druggist — and  of  such  patients  as  learn  of  it. 

The  only  one  who  profits  by  all  this  is  the  Luyties  Phar- 
macy Co.,  alias  the  Manola  Co.,  alias  the  Walker  Pharmacal 
Company. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  239 

Evidently  this  method  of  exploitation  pays;  that  it  does  pay 
is  a  disgrace  to  the  medical  profession.  To  those  physicians 
who  have  in  the  past  acted  as  pedlers  for  Manola  we  would 
say :  If  your  patients  really  need  sherry  wine  let  them  purchase 
it  under  its  own  name  and  at  the  ordinary  market  price.  You 
will  then  know  what  they  are  getting  and  you  will  he  able  to 
retain  not  only  your  own  self-respect  but  also  the  respect  of 
your  druggist  and  the  public. 

The  Composition  of   Manola 

Examination  of  Manola  in  the  Association  laboratory  indi- 
cates that  its  composition  is  consistent  with  its  origin,  for 
its  medicinal  ingredients  are  present  in  truly  homeopathic 
quantities.  The  laboratory  report  follows: 

An  examination  of  an  original  bottle  of  Manola  gave  the 
following  results : 

Specific  gravity  at  25  C 1.0329 

Alcohol   18.00  per  cent,  by  vol. 

Non-volatile  matter    (residue   on 

evaporation)    15.93       gm.  in  100  c.c. 

Ash    96       gm.  in  100  c.c. 

Phosphoric  pentoxid  (P2O5) 0668  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

Total  alkaloids 0047  gm.  in  100  c.c. 

Calcium    Traces. 

Magnesium    Traces. 

Iron   Traces. 

Sodium    Traces. 

Arsenic   Traces. 

Manola  is  a  light  amber  colored  liquid  having  the  odor  and 
taste  of  sherry  wine.  The  above  analysis  indicates  that  it  is 
nothing  more  than  wine,  fortified  with  alcohol  and  a  slight 
amount  of  medicinal  substances  added.  The  non-volatile 
matter  appears  to  be  nearly  all  sugar,  glycerin,  or  some  sim- 
ilar substance  and  the  presence  of  less  than  one  gram  of  ash 
to  100  c.c.  excludes  the  presence  of  more  than  a  small 
amount  of  organic  salts.  From  the  amount  of  phosphorus 
found  there  appears  to  be  about  one  dose  of  phosphoric  acid 
to  a  twenty-ounce  bottle.  Arsenic  is  present  in  such  small 
amounts  that  the  ordinary  hydrogen  sulphid  test  failed  to 
show  its  presence  and  the  delicate  Gutzeit's  test  had  to  be 
used  to  detect  it.— (Modified  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
April  2,  1910.) 


MARIENBAD  TABLETS 

The  Commercial  Value  of  a  Name 

What  potentialities  exist  in  a  name!  The  great  watering 
places  and  health  resorts  of  Europe  are  household  words  and 
their  names  compel  attention.  Hence,  when  a  physician 
receives  in  his  mail  a  package  bearing  a  foreign  postmark  and 
an  unusual  looking  stamp,  with  the  name  "Marienbad"  on 
the  enclosure,  he  may  possibly  restrain  his  first  impulse,  born 
of  experience,  to  throw  the  "sample"  into  the  waste  basket. 
He  may  be  excused  for  expecting  to  find  something  of  unusual 


240  PROPAGANDA     FOR     IfKFOltM 

merit  in  a  medicine  elaborated  at  such  a  world-renowned 
health  resort  as  Marienbad.  Especially  is  his  enthusiastic 
expectancy  pardonable  when  he  learns  that  "Marienbad  Tab- 
lets" are  "prepared  according  to  the  prescription"  of  an 
individual  with  the  imposing  cognomen,  "Prof.  Dr.  Med. 
Chevalier  de  Basch." 

Then,  too,  accompanying  the  "sample"  is  a  circular  descrip- 
tive of  the  virtues  of  this  great  medicine,  printed  in  parallel 
columns  of  massive  German  and  picturesque  English.  In  it 
he  is  informed  that  the  "Marienbad  Tablets  act  mildly,  with- 
out pain  on  the  bowels,  and  consequently  effect  their  evacua- 
tion." Great  stress  is  laid  on  the  advantage  of  the  "tablet- 
shape"  which  makes  possible  the  "offering  of  a  perfectly 
equal  dose  of  the  efficacious  ingredients"  and  simplifies  the 
administration  "on  account  of  their  compendious  shape." 
"Marienbad  Tablets,"  he  is  told,  are  unexcelled  for  the  treat- 
ment of  that  condition  recognized  by  all  physicians  as 
"sanguiness  and  its  after-effects,  such  as  vergitiousness,"  and 
they  are  highly  recommended  in  cases  of  "arteriosclerose."  As 
a  sop  to  Cerberus,  the  circular  suggests  "the  diagnosis  should 
be  made  by  the  physician,"  the  assumption  being  that  the 
proprietors  of  "Marienbad  Tablets"  will  take  care  of  the  treat- 
ment while  the  prognosis  will  naturally  take  care  of  itself. 

And  the  composition  of  this  "compendious"  cure  for  "san- 
guiness" and  "vertigiousness"  ?  Well,  if  carefully  looked  for, 
the  physician  will  find  that  "Marienbad  Tablets"  consist  of 
extract  of  aloes,  powdered  rhubarb,  podophyllin,  extract  of 
mascara  sagrada  and  extract  of  belladonna.  That  is  all;  just 
i  simple  cathartic  tablet  such  as  physicians  are  prescribing 
for  their  patients  daily.  They  do  not  even  contain  a  pictur- 
esque, pharmacologic  nonentity  like  cactin  or  "latalia  rad." 
Wherein,  then,  lies  the  special  virtue  of  their  "efficacious  ingre- 
dients"? We  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  this  must 
reside  in  the  psychic  effect  produced  by  taking  a  silver-coated 
tablet  from  a  gilt-trimmed  box,  labelled  "Marienbad,"  rather 
than  in  the  essential  contents  of  the  tablets  themselves. — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  18,  1908.) 


MERCOL 

R.  Hunt  and  A.  Seidell,  Washington,  D.  C.,  report  the  result 
of  an  examination  of  a  preparation  called  Ho  well's  Mercol, 
manufactured  by  H.  B.  Howell  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  New  Orleans,  and 
claimed  to  be  a  1  per  cent,  solution  of  mercuric  iodid  in  a  non- 
irritating  neutral  menstruum,  and  recommended  for  hypo- 
dermic use  in  the  treatment  of  syphilis.  Their  examination 
indicates,  as  they  say,  "that  although  the  manufacturers  of 
Mercol  may  have  used  a  mercuric  iodid  in  its  preparation, 
they  have  not  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  1  per  cent,  solution 


MI8CELLA  XEO  US  NOSTR  VMS         24 1 

of  this  compound  in  their  'non-irritating  neutral  menstruum.' 
It  is  furthermore  evident  that  the  sample  examined  as  above 
outlined  contains  none,  or  at  most,  only  traces  of  biniodid 
of  mercury."  It  is  stating  it  mildly  to  say  that  a  manu- 
facturer is  careless  who  claims  to  make  an  efficient  prepara- 
tion of  what  is  almost  a  specific  for  one  of  the  most  serious  of 
diseases  but  which  contains  practically  none  of  the  essential 
active  ingredient. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Jan.  16,  1909.) 

The  Component  Parts  and  the  Finished  Product 
After  the  appearance  of  the  first  article,  a  physician  wrote 
stating  he  had  seen  Mercol  manufactured,  following  the 
process  in  detail  and  had  himself  weighed  out  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  mercuric  iodid  to  produce  a  1  per  cent,  solution. 
He  protested  that  the  firm  "had  no  desire  to  foist  on  the 
medical  profession  or  the  public  a  fraud."  With  his  letter  he 
sent  a  sample  of  the  particular  batch  of  Mercol  which  he  had 
seen  manufactured.  This  sample  was  analyzed  with  the  same 
care  and  thoroughness  that  the  previous  sample  had  been,  and 
the  practical  absence  of  mercuric  iodid  was  again  demon- 
strated. While  THE  JOURNAL  does  not  question  the  honesty 
and  good  faith  of  either  the  manufacturers  or  the  physician 
it  maintains  that  claims  for  remedial  agent  should  be  based 
on  the  finished  product  rather  than  on  the  component  parts 
used  in  its  manufacture.  Without  attempting  to  explain 
what  has  become  of  the  mercuric  iodid,  it  insists  that  the 
important  fact,  and  the  one  that  vitally  concerns  both  patient 
and  physician,  is  that  the  finished  product  fails  to  contain  it. 
If  the  manufacturer  lias  made  an  honest  mistake  in  supposing 
he  could  produce  a  1  per  cent,  solution  of  mercuric  iodid  in 
liquid  petrolatum,  he  will  doubtless  see  that  the  mistake  is 
corrected.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  governed  by  commer- 
cial considerations  only,  the  misrepresentation  will  probably  be 
perpetuated. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  15,  1909.) 


MIDOL    AND    NURITO 

Pyramidon  Entering  the  Patent-Medicine  Field 
Krpi-ated  warnings  to  the  public  of  the  dangers  of  acetanilid, 
antipyrin  and  acetphenetidin  and  the  requirement  in  the 
Food  and  Drugs  Act  which  makes  it  obligatory  to  declare  the 
presence  of  aoetanilid  and  acetphenetidin  on  the  labels  of 
"patent  medicines,"  have  been  responsible  for  the  growing 
unpopularity  of  nostrums  containing  these  drugs. 

MIDOL 

During  the  past  few  months  advertisements  have  appeared 

in  the  newspapers  of  a  new  "headache  cure,"  the  advertising 

slogan     of    which  is    that     it     "contains     no     acetanilid     or 
phenacetin." 


242  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

The  name  of  this  preparation  is  Midol  and  it  is  sold  under 
the  following  claims: 

'Instantly   relieves  headache,  neuralgia,   toothache." 
'Has  no  depressing  effect." 

.       'More  effective  than  antipyrin,  acetanilid,   phenacetin   or  similar 
pain-relieving  products." 

'Midol  is  the  one  safe-to-take  aid  of  sufferers  of  headache." 

'Quickly  relieves  pain  of  whatever  nature." 

'There  is  no  cumulative  action." 

'No  bad  effect  upon  the  heart  or  other  organs." 

An  original  package  of  Midol  was  purchased  and  examined 
in  the  Association's  laboratory.  The  chemists'  report  follows : 

"Midol  is  sold  in  the  form  of  Avhite  tablets  each  weighing, 
on  an  average,  0.425  gm.  or  about  six  and  one-half  grains. 
The  tablets  are  soluble  in  water,  chloroform  or  benzene  to  the 
extent  of  about  80  per  cent.  The  soluble  portion  appeared  to 
be  largely  composed  of  starch,  with  about  4.5  per  cent,  of 
some  inorganic  matter,  probably  talc.  The  chloroform  soluble 
portion  was  found  to  consist  chiefly  of  pyramidon  chemi- 
cally known  as  dimethyl-dimethylamino-pyrazolon.  Besides 
pyramidon,  the  chloroform  soluble  matter  contained  a  small 
quantity  of  caffein  and  may  have  contained  small  amounts  of 
other  substances. 

"From  examination  it  is  concluded  that  Midol  depends  essen- 
tially on  pyramidon  for  its  therapeutic  effect." 

Pyramidon  is  a  proprietary  preparation  derived  from,  and 
having  the  antipyretic  and  anodyne  properties  of,  antipyrin. 
While  some  observers  have  asserted  that  it  is  more  likely  to 
cause  collapse  than  are  either  antipyrin  or  acetphenetidin 
there  is  no  positive  evidence  of  this  assertion.  That  the  use  of 
pyramidon  has  been  until  recently  practically  restricted  to 
physicians  may  account  for  the  fact  that  its  toxic  effects  are 
not  as  well  known  as  are  those  of  antipyrin,  acetphenetidin, 
acetanilid,  etc.,  which  for  some  years  have  been  indiscrimi- 
nately used  by  the  public.  As  the  use  of  pyramidon  as  a  "pat- 
ent medicine"  now  bids  fair  to  become  as  general  as  the  better 
known  antipyretics,  it  is  probable  that  its  toxicology  will 
become  better  known. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  pyramidon  in  the  form  of  Midol 
is  put  on  the  American  market  by  the  General  Drug  Company, 
which  also  acts  as  a  distributor  of  salvarsan  ("606").  The 
General  Drug  Company  is  said  to  have  for  its  president,  W. 
M.  Hoge,  who  was  formerly  employed  in  the  comptroller's 
office  during  the  administration  of  Herman  A.  Metz.  The 
vice-president  and  treasurer  of  the  General  Drug  Company  is 
Dr.  Gustave  P.  Metz,  brother  of  H.  A.  Metz,  the  latter  being 
employed  by  the  Consolidated  Color  and  Chemical  Works  and 
being  president  of  Victor  Koechl  &  Co.  The  General  Drug  Com- 
pany, in  its  price  list  to  physicians,  lists  the  "ethical  pro- 
prietary" pyramidon,  but  contains  no  mention  of  its  "patent 
medicine"  Midol. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  243 

NTJBITO 

Midol  is  not  the  only  "patent  medicine"  in  which  pyramidon 
is  the  essential  drug.  Nurito,  which  is  advertised  as  "not  a 
patent  medicine  but  a  proprietary  preparation"  is  a  nostrum 
put  on  the  market  by  the  Magistral  Chemical  Co.,  New  York. 
Here  are  some  of  the  claims: 

"Only  U.  S.  P.  ingredients  are  used  in  Nurito." 

"Guaranteed  to  relieve  or  your  money  refunded,  Rheumatism, 
Sciatica,  Neuritis." 

"There  is  no  compound  known  in  medicine  that  so  rationally, 
scientifically  and  effectively  removes  waste  and  poisons  from  the 
human  system  as  Nurito." 

The  Association's  laboratory  recently  analyzed  a  specimen 
of  Nurito.  The  report  follows: 

A  dollar-size  package  of  Nurito  was  purchased  and  found  to 
contain  seven  powders.  The  powders  ranged  in  weight  from 
9  to  12  grains,  the  average  weight  being  nearly  11  grains. 
The  presence  of  pyramidon,  phenolphthalein  and  milk  sugar 
was  demonstrated.  Alkaloids,  acetanilid,  acetphenetidin. 
chlorids,  bromids,  iodids,  heavy  metals,  starch  and  sulphates 
were  absent.  Quantitative  examination  indicated  that  the 
composition  of  Nurito  is  essentially  as  follows: 

Milk    sugar    34  per  cent. 

Phenolphthalein    6  per  cent. 

Pyramidon     60  per  cent. 

Each  powder,  therefore,  contains  about  2%  grains  of  milk 
sugar,  %  of  a  grain  of  phenolp/ithalein  and  6%  grains  of 
pyramidon. 

What  was  said  of  pyramidon  in  the  preceding  article  applies 
equally  well  here.  The  claim  that  Nurito  is  composed  of 
"U.  S.  P.  ingredients"  is  evidently  a  falsehood.  The  chief 
therapeutic  ingredients  are  pyramidon  and  phenolphthalein, 
neither  of  which  is  described  in  the  United  States  Pharma- 
copeia.—(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  10,  1912.) 


NARKINE 

The  Intangible  Product  of  the  Tilden  Laboratory 
A  little  book,  published  by  the  Druggists  Circular,  and 
called  "Modern  Materia  Medica,"  gives  in  dictionary  form  the 
information  regarding  new  remedies  which  that  journal  pub- 
lishes in  its  monthly  issues.  Such  information  is  not  always 
acceptable  to  the  manufacturers  of  various  preparations  .of 
doubtful  value.  A  case  in  point  is  brought  to  notice  with 
reference  to  a  remedy  called  Narkine,  put  out  by  the  Tilden 
Company  of  St.  Louis.  In  this  little  book  the  following 
appears : 

"Narkine  is  described  as  'an  opium  preparation  from 
which  all  deleterious  qualities  have  been  eliminated'; 
an  unsupportable  claim,  as  all  opiates  and  other  hyp- 
notics are  essentially  deleterious." 


244  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

The  Tilden  Company  wrote  to  the  Druggists  Circular,  stat- 
ing that  they  guaranteed  Narkine  "to  be  absolutely  free  from 
coal-tar  or  opium  derivatives,"  yet  the  "literature"  of  the 
company  describes  it  as 

"a  specially  prepared  product  of  opium  devoid  of  the 
nauseating  and  disagreeable  properties  of  this  drug, 
yet  possessing  the  anodyne  and  soporific  principles  of 
same  in  the  highest  degree." 

To  remove  from  opium  all  its  derivatives  and  yet  retain  the 
anodyne  and  soporific  principles  attached  to  nothing  in  par- 
ticular, indicates  a  degree  of  pharmaceutical  skill  seldom  at- 
tained. One  is  irresistibly  reminded  of  the  Cheshire  cat  in 
"Alice  in  Wonderland,"  whose  smile  remained  long  after  the 
cat  had  vanished. 

The  absurdity  of  the  thing,  however,  has  apparently  not 
occurred  to  many  physicians,  for  these  disembodied  spirits  of 
the  pharmacologic  world  are  evidently  being  prescribed. 

The  Druggists  Circular  is  to  be  congratulated  on  exposing 
this  latest  pharmaceutical  freak.  It  does  so  in  a  rather  strik- 
ing manner  by  means  of  photographic  reproductions  of  the 
claims  of  the  Tilden  Company. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Oct.  24,  1908.) 


OXIDAZE— OLEOZONE— HYDROCINE 

In  1907,  a  "consumption  cure"  was  put  on  the  market 
under  the  name,  Hydrocine.  Hydrocine  was  called — at  first — 
a  "hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbon;"  later,  it  was  referred  to  as 
an  "oxidized  carbo-hydrate."  It  was  analyzed  by  the  Associa- 
tion's chemists,  who  reported  that  they  found  that  "each  29.5 
grain  Hydrocine  tablet  contains  28  grains  of  cane  sugar  and 
small  quantities  of  volatile  oils  and  a  trace  of  pancreatin." 
This  preparation  seems  to  have  originated  with  a  C.  E.  Get- 
singer  who  organized  what  was  known  'as  the  Medical  Food 
Company.  The  commercial  possibilities  in  selling  an  odorifer- 
ous sugar  mixture  as  a  "consumption  cure"  apparently 
appealed  to  one  Charles  S.  Roberts,  a  physician  of  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  who,  with  the  help  of  Charles  H.  Goddard  and  others, 
incorporated  the  Hydrocine  Company  for  the  purpose  of  ex- 
ploiting Getsinger's  "treatment."  Goddard,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned in  passing,  was  the  man  who  organized  that  cooperative 
"patent  medicine"  concern  known  as  the  A.  D.  S. — American 
Druggists  Syndicate. 

Getsinger  and  Roberts  later  seemed  to  have  had  a  disagree- 
ment and  Getsinger  marketed  his  own  product  iinder  the  name 
of  Oxydase.  Roberts  changed  the  name  of  Hydrocine  to  Oleo- 
zone  and  apparently  had  the  stuff  made  by  the  A.  D.  S. — or 
at  least  it  bore  the  same  serial  number  as  that  given  the  A.  D. 
S.  products.  Coincident  with  these  changes  in  the  name  of 


Ml  WEI,  L.  \  NEO  US     NOSTRUMS  245 

the  "hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbon,"  another  concern  came  into 
existence — the  Cowles  Institute,  said  to  be  operated  by  one 
H.  L.  Cowles.  This  also  dispensed  "oxygenated  products" 
for  the  cure  of  consumption.  A  little  later  Cowles  seems  to 
have  changed  the  name  of  his  concern  to  the  Hemavitae  Com- 
pany and  to  have  rechristened  his  product,  Hemavitse. 

The  latest  change  (March,  1911)  in  the  name  of  Getsinger's 
product  is,  Oxidaze  put  out  by  the  American  Oxidaze  Company. 

The  matter  which  follows  is  a  reprint  (slightly  modified) 
of  the  articles  that  have  appeared  in  TIIK  .Ion? NAT,  of  the 
American  Medical  Association,  tracing  the  vicissitudes  through 
which  this  odoriferous  sugar  mixture  has  passed  in  its  various 
stages  of  evolution  as  a  "consumption  cure." 

Hydrocine 

We  have  had  occasion  to  comment  on  the  diabolical  cruelty 
exhibited  by  cancer  fakers  in  deluding  their  victims  with  false 


>  •>    Tjjl'i  l-i  the,  tnj  iirn.nl  imrnilnfllttHJn  |he  pro 

2HD 


As  startling  as  this  statement  may  seem  to  you.  for  fifteen  (15)  cents  to  cover  posl 
I  -end  you  theory,  literature  anj  at.un.lant  testimonials  >ud  •  fS.UO  <•>"  sample  enoug 
^  this  to  be  a  fact. 

Doctor  be  progressive  and  get  the  credit  for  being  the  first  to  use  this  remecTy'm 
.ice  Prevent  your  tubercular  patients  from  saying  yo.ir  neighbor  doctor  is  curing 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced)  of  a  post-card  sent 
by  O.  S.  Roberts  at  the  time  he  first  began  exploiting  Hydrocine. 
Notice  the  claim  that  his  nostrum  is  a  '.'positive  cure  of  tuberculosis 
of  all  forms/'  Note,  too,  the  way  in  which  Roberts  made  capital 
out  of  his  membership  in  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State  of  New 
York  and  in  the  American  Medical  Association.  Roberts  joined  the 
American  Medical  Association  in  December,  1906,  just  before  he 
went  into  the  "consumption  cure"  business.  In  September,  1907, 
the  county  society  repudiated  him  and  his  membership  in  the  state 
and  national  organizations  was  thus  automatically  terminated. 

hopes  and  by  inducing  them  to  delay  such  treatment  as  might 
be  effective  until  too  late.  Next  to  cancer,  tuberculosis  offers 
the  most  promising  field  for  such  vampires,  for  it  is  a  disease 
in  which  the  patient  is  always  hopeful  and  always  ready  to 
say  that  he  is  better;  just  such  a  condition  as  makes  him  an 
easy  victim  for  those  who  are  without  principle  and  ready  t^ 
prey  on  the  hope  which  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast. 
During  the  past  three  months1  physicians  all  over  the  coun- 
try have  been  receiving  postal  cards  announcing  the  discovery 
of  a  new  and  wonderful  remedy  for  consumption.  The  card 


1.  This  was  written  in  August,  1007. 


246  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

js  signed,  "C.  S.  Roberts,  M.D.,  Member  N.  Y.  State  Medical 
Society  and  American  Medical  Association."  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  what  Roberts  says  regarding  his  membership  is 
true.  Until  within  the  last  few  months  Roberts  lived  at  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Onondaga  County  Medical 
Society  and  consequently  of  the  Medical  Society  of  the  State 
of  New  York.  Last  December  he  became  a  member  of  the 
American  Medical  Association.  This  was  just  before  his  re- 


Into  your 

basket   (never  to  return  with  any  profit  to  you) .However .permit 
me  to  say  I  meant  well  and  hoped  to  favor  you. 


I  will  atata  for  your  Informatlon.Dootor.that  one  of 
the  four  ways  In  which  to  make  money  on  this  proposition  by  asso- 
ciating with  this  Company  to  the  extent  of  $300  to  $500. (and  thli 
amount  la  all  you  can  Invest  with  them)  la  by  the  aale  of  their 
Automatic  Water  Still  In  your  county  by  any  method  you  may  chooaa 
to  'adopt  for  a  period  of  15  years. 


tie  and  does  not  require  aa  much  watching  and  care.  The  water  la  boiled 
and  the  eteam  condensed  in  the  prenen^e  of  pure  hot  air.  giving  the 
nicest  pure  and  live  water,  entirely  free  from  the  taate  of  ordinary 

and  pleasant'to  the  taste!     The°StlliniaWoapable  of  dlatllllng  several 
gallona  per  day.   The  price  la  reasonable  and  within  the  reach  of 
everyoody.and  one  ehould  be  In  the  home  of  every  family  In  your  town 
and  you  can  do  your  patlente  no  greater  favor  than  recommending  ona 
of   theae   to    then. 

by  every  Board  of 
e  seen  it. 

Why  not  acroept  the  Conoany'e  liberal  offer  to  pay  your 
fare  ona  way  for  th«  purapoae  of  an  Investigation.  If  thla  bualness 
was  not  high  class  and  worthy,  they  certainly  would  not  make  you 

such  terms. 

If  at  all  inters 
further  Information,  or  1  wll 
Rochester. 

Very  truly  yours 


Photographic  facsimile  (reduced)  of  a  circular  letter  sent 
out  by  Roberts  at  the  time  that  he  was  trying  to  get  physicians 
to  invest  in  the  "Automatic  Water  Still."  The  physician  to  whom 
this  letter  was  addressed  said  :  "This  is  the  third  letter  I  have 
received  from  Dr.  Roberts  in  the  past  few  weeks,  none  of  which  I 
have  answered." 

moval  to  New  York  City,  and  he  evidently  obtained  this  mem- 
bership because  he  was  going  into  this  wretched  business  and 
wanted  to  use  his  membership  as  apparent  guarantee  of  his 
ethical  standing.  As  soon  as  the  Onondaga  County  Medical 
Society  discovered  the  business  Roberts  had  gone  into  he  was 
asked  to  resign,  but  this  he  refused  to  do.  Hence  it  became 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  247 

necessary  for  the  society  to  go  through  the  legal  form  of  trial 
before  expelling  him  from  the  society.  We  understand  that  his 
trial  cannot  come  off  until  September,  and  that  Roberts  is 
fighting  to  retain  his  membership.2 

According  to  the  postal  card,  Roberts  is  just  commenc- 
ing to  introduce  to  the  medical  profession  "(on  strictly 
ethical  lines)" — this  is  put  in  parentheses  probably  for  empha- 
sis— "a  positive  cure  for  tuberculosis  in  any  form."  "This  dis- 
covery," he  says,  "is  the  result  of  fourteen  years  scientific 
study  and  experimentation,"  but  so  far  as  we  have  been  able 
to  learn,  Roberts  has  not  been  noted  as  performing  any  remark- 
able cures  of  tuberculosis  in  Syracuse,  nor  was  it  known  that 
he  was  using  this  wonderful  remedy.  The  last  paragraph  of 
the  postal  card  is  supposed  to  be  a  clincher: 

"Prevent  your  tubercular  patients  from  saying  your  neighbor 
doctor  is  curing  his  patients  in  a  few  weeks  right  at  home,  while 
you  are  sending  them  at  great  expense  in  time  and  money  to  remote 
resorts  for  consumptives." 

Judging  from  the  circulars,  Roberts  seems  to  have  gone  to 
New  York  to  help  exploit  a  nostrum — Hydrocine — put  out  by 
the  "Medical  Food  Co.,"  and  evidently  the  postal  card  is  the 
initial  move  in  a  scheme  to  exploit  the  medical  profession. 

Incidentally,  it  might  be  said  that  some  two  or  three  years 
ago  Roberts  was  interested  in  a  scheme  to  work  the  doctors 
by  getting  them  to  invest  in  a  water  still,  and  the  circular 
letters  he  sent  to  physicians  at  that  time  sound  very  similar 
to  the  circulars  he  is  now  sending  out  puffing  this  specific  for 
consumption.  In  one  of  the  "still"  letters  he  states  that  he 
made  $3,200  in  less  than  two  months  on  an  investment  of 
$300.  Evidently  something  must  have  happened  to  the  "still" 
business,  for  such  a  man  would  hardly  give  up  a  business  net- 
ting $2,900  in  two  months,  even  to  exploit  a  remedy.that  is  to 
relieve  the  human  race  of  one  of  its  most  fatal  diseases. 

The  recipient  of  the  postal  card  above  referred  to  is  told 
that  if  he  will  send  15  cents  in  postage  stamps  he -will  be  fur- 
nished with  the  "theory,  literature  and  abundant  testimonials 
and  a  $3  size  sample  to  prove  what  we  say."  This  part  of  the 
agreement  is  lived  up  to.  The  theory  is  furnished,  plenty  of 
literature,  including  testimonials,  and  also  a  box  of  the  tab- 
lets. The  theory  ought  to  take  with  an  ignorant  layman,  and 
the  literature  certainly  is  promising  and  hopeful  enough  to 
convince  the  most  desperate  individual  that  he  could  be  cured. 

The  wonderful  remedy  is  known  as  Hydrocine — hyper-oxi- 
dized hydro-carbon.  The  circular  tells  us  that  "the  physician 
is  unquestionably  entitled  to  a  full,  frank  and  candid  state- 
ment of  the  composition,  nature  and  character  of  any  and 
every  medicinal  preparation  he  is  asked  to  prescribe."  This 
sounds  excellent,  and  then  follows  the  formula: 

2.  He  was  dropped  at  the  September,  1907,  meeting. 


248 


PROPAGANDA     l-'nit     REFORM 


FOKMULA 

Hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbon    (vegetable) 28  gr. 

Pure  rock  sugar 8  gr. 

Powdered  pancreatin 1/20  gr. 

The  oxids  are  liberated  in  the  stomach  and  thrown  into ' 

the  circulation. 

It  is  barely  possible  that  there  is  somebody  on  this  mun- 
dane sphere  that  can  tell  what  "hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbon 
(vegetable)"  is.  Most  of  us  have  a  knowledge  of  pure  rock 
sugar  and  powdered  pancreatin,  but  when  we  come  to  the  other 
ingredient,  we  fear  the  majority  of  us  would  have  to  give 
it  up. 


\MKUU     \N     OXIUAXK     f.O»|l».VNY 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced)  of  the  letter-heads  of  some 
of  the  various  concerns  that  have  found  it  profitable  to  exploit  an 
odoriferous  sugar  mixture  as  a  "cure"  for  consumption. 

However,  we  find  this  in  the  printed  circular: 

The  hydro-carbon  is  extracted  from  oils  of  cinnamon,  coniin, 
peppermint,  spruce,  myrtle,  chekan,  marrubium,  myrrh,  turpen- 
tine and  thymol,  is  then  condensed,  and  positively  all  toxic 
properties  are  eliminated.  The  residue  is  hyper-oxidized,  pro- 
digested  by  pancreatin,  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  pow- 
dered rock  sugar  and  pressed  into  30  grain  tablets. 

There  we  have  it.    And  when  we  have  it,  what  have  we? 

The  literature  is  of  the  usual  quackish  order,  the  optimistic 
kind  that  will  make  the  physician  who  does  not  stop  to  think 
feel  that  it  is  something  worth  trying  at  least. 

TESTIMONIALS   AS   USUAL 

Of  course,  there  are  testimonials — several  of  them.  What 
nostrum  was  ever  introduced,  whether  to  the  public  or.  to  the 
profession,  that  did  not  have  testimonials  ready?  Many  of 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  249 

the  testimonial  givers  we  have  not  located,  but  they  may  be 
genuine  for  all  that.  One  who  speaks  in  high  praise  of  the 
nostrum  is  Dr.  O.  P.  Barber  of  Saginaw,  Mich.,  who  is  given 
as  "professor  of  surgery,  Michigan  College  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery,  Detroit,  Mich."  Dr.  Barber's  success  is  really  remark- 
able when  it  is  considered  that  he  disregarded  Dr.  Roberts' 
instruction  to  select  an  incipient  case,  for  he  seems  to  have 
taken  one  with  extensive  cavities,  in  the  third  stage,  a  man 
with  undoubted  complications,  whose  sputum  was  so  offensive 
that  the  doctor  asked  him  to  expectorate  in  the  closet  in  the 
next  room.  He  also  neglected  to  give  a  "good  liver  cathartic 
at  the  start,"  as  the  circular  advises,  but  put  him  at  once  on 
hydrocine.  Possibly  Dr.  Barber  did  not  carry  out  the  full 
instructions  because  he  did  not  get  them  from  the  right  source, 
for  he  tells  us  that  he  was  led  to  use  the  remedy  on  the 
advice  of  a  layman,  from  whom  he  seems  to  have  obtained  his 
early  supplies.  However,  notwithstanding  these  palpable  vio- 
lations of  the  correct  method  of  using  the  preparation,  this 
unpromisirig  patient  recovered  to  such  an  extent  that  the  cavi- 
ties all  filled  up  and  over  40  per  cent,  of  the  patient's  lung 
consists  of  scars.  This  was  proved  by  the  x-ray.  Dr.  Barber 
had  other  equally  remarkable  cures. 

Another  name  that  is  often  seen  in  a  certain  class  of  litera- 
ture appears  in  connection  with  this  Hydrocine.  This  is  Dr. 
J.  W.  P.  Smithwick,  of  LaGrange,  N.  C.  Dr.  Smithwick,  how- 
ever, is  given  to  writing  very  favorably  of  preparations  that 
are  not  in  the  Pharmacopeia,  such  as  Glycobenphene,  Boroben- 
phene,  Tongaline,  Bromidia,  Maltopepsine,  Ecthol,  Phenalgin, 
Dermapurine,  Angler's  Petroleum  Emulsion,  Thialion,  etc.,  for 
we  find  his  testimonials  in  the  advertising  literature  of  all  of 
these  articles.  Dr.  Smithwick,  who,  by  the  way,  is  given  as 
"first  vice-president  of  the  American  Congress  on  Tubercu- 
losis," and  therefore  should  be  an  authority  on  the  subject, 
seems  also  to  have  had  a  most  notable  experience,  for  every 
patient  treated  recovered,  and  his  cases  included  not  only  pul- 
monary tuberculosis,  but  also  hip-joint  disease,  lupus  vulgaris, 
etc.,  and  of  the  worst  sort. 

When  we  began  to  receive  Roberts'  postal  cards  and  were 
asked  to  show  up  the  scheme,  we  thought  the  card  itself  was 
so  quackish  that  no  intelligent  physician  -  would  risk  even  the 
15  cents.  It  seems,  however,  that  some  have  been  "almost 
persuaded,"  and  we  have  been  astonished  to  receive  letters 
asking  if  it  is  not  possible  that  this  nostrum  may  do  what 
its  promoters  say  it  Avill  do,  evidently  feeling  that  possibly, 
after  all,  the  long-looked-for  remedy  has  been  discovered.  How 
foolish!  Tf  Roberts  and  the  promoters  (who  are,  perhaps, 
making  him  a  cat's  paw)  really  had  a  remedy  that  would  do 
what  they  claim  this  one  will  do,  there  would  not  be  words  in 
the  English  language  strong  enough  to  characterize  their  vil- 
lainy and  inhumanity  in  keeping  it  secret.  If,  on  the  other 


250 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     RKMHtM 


hand,  the  stuff  is  a  fraud,  then  it  is  simply  another  instance 
to  add  to  the  list  of  attempts  to  humbug  the  public,  and  to 
make  money  out  of  their  suffering.  Either  horn  of  the 
dilemma  is  certainly  reprehensible,  and  to  have  one  who  is 
supposed  to  have  once  been  a  reputable  physician  mixed  up 
in  it  should  be  a  source  of  regret  to  every  member  of  our 
profession.  (From  the  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  17,  1907.) 

An    Analysis   of    Hydrocine 

Hydrocine,  widely  advertised  as  a  consumption  cure  and 
belonging  to  the  class  that  Samuel  Hopkins  Adams  would 
designate  the  "fundamental  fakes,"  has  been  analyzed  by  our 
chemists  and  found  to  consist  chiefly  of  cane  sugar. 


Photographic  reproductions  (reduced)  of  some  advertisements  of 
the  various  sugar  "cures"  for  tuberculosis.  The  advertisement  of 
Hydrocine  appeared  in  the  Texas  Medical  Journal;  that  of  Oleo- 
zone,  in  the  Medical  Summary;  that  of  Oxydase,  in  the  Interna- 
tional Journal  of  Surgery. 

In  common  with  other  members  of  its  class,  it  is  advertised 
as  being  an  essentially  non-secret  preparation  and,  to  bear  out 
that  claim,  an  involved  and  meaningless  "formula"  is  appended. 
Its  promoters  state  that  Hydrocine  is  "a  vegetable  hyper-oxi- 
dized hydro-carbon" — whatever  that  may  mean.  Its  "formulas" 
are  equally  enlightening.  We  use  the  plural  advisedly,  as 
Hydrocine  exhibits  that  fine  fickleness  and  mutability  of  com- 
position that  characterizes  nostrums  of  its  kind.  Its  early 
"formula"  was  as  follows: 

Hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbon   (vegetable) 28  gr. 

Pure  rock  sugar 8  gr. 

Powdered  pancreai  in    1/20  gr. 

The  oxids  are  liberated  in  the  stomach  and  thrown  into  the 
circulation. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  251 

For  some  unknown  reason,  however,  this  "formula"  was 
changed  before  the  edition  of  the  pamphlet,  setting  forth  the 
wonders  of  the  combination,  was  exhausted.  "Formula"  No. 
2,  as  printed  on  a  "sticker"  placed  over  "Formula"  No.  1, 
states  that  Hydrocine  consists  of: 

Oxidized  carbo-hydrates  and  essential  oils 18  1/2     gr. 

Mineral  constituents    1  1/2     gr. 

Pure  rock  sugar ;   9  gr. 

Powdered  pancreatin 1/20  gr. 

Accompanying  this  later  pamphlet — or  more  correctly,  the 
earlier  pamphlet  with  a  later  "formula" — is  a  circular  giving 
the  following  enlightening  information  regarding  the  compo- 
sition of  Hydrocine: 

INGREDIENTS 

"Oil  of  cinnamon,  coniin.  peppermint,  spruce,  myrtle,  chekan, 
marrubium,  myrrh,  turpentine  and  thymol,  with  all  toxic  prop- 
erties positively  eliminated.  The  residue  is  highly  oxidized, 
mixed  with  oxidized  sugar,  pancreatin  and  pressed  into  a  30 
grain  tablet.  The  oxygen  is  liberated  in  a  nascent  form  and 
taken  up  by  the  circulation,  and  thus  enables  patients  to  become 
saturated  with  the  same  in  30  minute  doses." 

This  same  circular  also  gives  what  purports  to  be  a  report 
of  an  analysis  of  Hydrocine  Tablets,  which,  however,  reads 
more  as  if  it  were  a  testimonial  prepared  at  the  request  of  the 
manufacturer,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  written  by  a  pre- 
sumably reputable  chemist.  Thus,  while  the  report  states  that 
the  tablets  contain  a  certain  amount  of  "aldehydes,  ketones 
and  oxidized  products  from  the  bodies  used,"  the  chemist 
virtually  acknowledges  that  these  bodies  were  not  actually 
determined  by  him.  In  fact,  from  the  language  of  the  report 
one  is  led  to  believe  that  he  accepted  the  manufacturer's  state- 
ment in  regard  to  their  presence.  Of  course,  we  do  not  know 
the  composition  of  the  Hydrocine  which  the  manufacturer  sub- 
mitted to  this  chemist  for  report,  or  the  composition  which 
Hydrocine  will  have  in  the  future.  The  report  of  the  analysis 
made  for  the  American  Medical  Association  by  its  chemists 
indicates  the  composition  of  Hydrocine  such  jus  is  sent  to 
physicians,  and  is,  therefore,  of  interest.  It  is  as  follows: 

RESULTS   OF   ANALYSIS 

We  have  made  a  careful  examination  of  the  original 
package  of  Hydrocine  and  find  that  the  average  weight 
of  the  tablets  is  29.5  grains.  Of  this,  95  per  cent.,  or  28 
grains,  of  the  total  of  29.5  grains,  is  cane  sugar.  Each 
tablet  contains  an  average  of  0.3  of  a  grain  of  a  sub- 
stance, insoluble  in  alcohol,  containing  nitrogenous 
matter.  The  indications  are  that  this  substance  may 
be  very  impure  pancreatin,  that  is,  that  this  0.3  of  a 
grain  may  contain  the  1/20  grain  of  pancreatin 
claimed  to  be  present  by  the  manufacturers.  It  also 
contains  very  small  quantities  of  aromatic  oils,  and  it 


252  I'lfOPAGANDA     FOR     REFUltM 

is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  these  oils,  like  tur- 
pentine, react  with  oxygen  that  it  is  claimed  that  the 
vegetable   matter  is   "hyper-.oxidized."     The  formula, 
however,     mentions     "hyper-oxidized     hydro-carbon/' 
Perhaps  the  manufacturers  have  reference  to  the  rock 
sugar  and  mean  carbohydrate,  for  there  is  probably  no 
oxidation  of  the  sugar,  though  it  is  probable  that  the 
aromatic  oils  present  may  be  partially  oxidized  and 
changed  in  other  ways  after  a  time,  but  the  "hyper- 
oxidized  hydro-carbon    (vegetable)    28  grains"  of  the 
formula  is  an  absurdity,  particularly  as  the  analysis 
shows  that  the  tablet  contains  28  grains  of  sugar.    We 
do  not  believe  that  it  is  possible  for  such  a  substance 
as   turpentine,   for   instance,  when    in   contact    with 
sucrose    (cane  sugar)    to  act  as  an  oxidizing  agent. 
Apparently,   therefore,   the   essential   constituent   of  Hydro- 
cine,  as  it  is  now  offered  to  physicians,  is  cane  sugar,  and 
evidently  this  was  the  substance  which  was  referred  to  as  the 
"hyper-oxidized    hydro-carbon."      As    indicated   by   our    chem- 
ist's report,  the    very    learned    ( ? )     statements  regarding  the 
"hyper-oxidized    hydro-carbon"    or    "oxidized    carbo-hydrates" 
may  be  reduced    to  a    simpler    statement:     "Each  29.5    grain 
Hydrocine  tablet  contains  28  grains  of  cane  sugar  and  small 
quantities  of  volatile  oils  and  a  trace  of  pancreatin." 

SUMMARY 

To  sum  up,  we  have:  A  preparation,  shown  by  analysis  to 
be  95  per  cent,  cane  sugar,  put  on  the  market  to  be  retailed 
at  a  cost  of  $8  a  pound  (avoirdupois).  The  claim  is  made 
that  by  giving  this  preparation  in  30-grain  doses  to  the  extent 
of  one  and  a  quarter  ounces  daily,  tuberculosis  can  be  "per- 
manently cured"  in  "from  six  to  sixteen  weeks."  To  impress 
the  unthinking,  the  main  constituent  in  the  formula  is  given 
a  quasi-scientific  name,  meaningless  in  import.  The  exploiter 
of  this  "remedy"  claims  to  have  given  up  a  practice  yielding 
$10,000  annually  "to  spread  the  truth  regarding  this  prepara- 
tion"— and  incidentally,  we  suspect,  to  reap  the  benefits  that 
must  accrue  from  selling  sugar  at  over  $5  a  pound,  wholesale. 

Our  chemist  having  translated  for  us  into  simpler  language 
the  statements  as  to  the  composition  of  the  article,  we,  .as 
physicians,  should  not  find  it  difficult  to  interpret  correctly  the 
evidence  on  which  the  claims  are  based.  (Modified  from  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  15,  190S.) 

Oleozone — Oxydase — Cowles  Institute 

Hydrocine  is  no  more,  but  the  commercial  possibilities  in 
sugar  as  a  therapeutic  agent  are  still  recognized.  Phoenix-like, 
there  have  arisen  from  the  ashes  of  Hydrocine  two  other 
"hyper-oxidized  hydro-carbons" — Oxydase  and  Oleozone.  In 
fact,  there  seems  to  be  at  present  no  fewer  than  three  con- 
cerns which  are  "curing"  tuberculosis  by  means  of  sugar  plus 
various  incidentals. 


MI8CELLA.  KEO  UK     NOSTRUM  8 


253 


HYDROCINE OLEOZONE — OXYDASE 

Before  Dr.  Roberts  "gave  up  a  practice  that  was  yielding 
.  .  .  [him]  an  income  of  over  $10,000.00  a  year"  to  sell 
odoriferous  sugar  at  $8.00  a  pound,  Hydrocine  seems  to  have 


UP-TO-DATE  AND  OUT-OF-DATE 


W    H.  MORSE,  M.  D.,  F    S.  Sc.  (LONDON), 
HARTFORD,   CONN. 


Read  before  the  Sixteenth  Annual  Meeting  of  the 

New  England  Eclectic  Medical  Association, 

Boston  Meeting,  June  24th,  1910. 


Reprinted  from 
Gaillard's  Southern  Medicine 
American  Medical  Journal 
Oklahoma  Medical  News  Journal 
The  Medical  Summary 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced)  of  the  cover  page  of  a 
small  booklet  in  which  a  Dr.  W.  H.  Morse  fulsomely  lauds 
Roberts'  product.  This  write-up  was  also  published  in  several  of 
the  less  reputable  medical  journals.  Morse  seems  to  make  a  busi- 
ness of  furnishing  write-ups  for  various  medical  fakes.  Epilepsy 
cures,  rheumatism  cures,  cures  for  blindness  and  vibrators  are  but 
a  few  of  the  things  that  Morse  has  testified  for.  The  letters 
"F.S.Sc.  (London),"  that  appear  after  his  name,  indicate  that  he  is 
a  member  of  a  serio-comic,  fraudulent  concern  calling  itself  the 
"Society  of  Science,  Letters  and  Art."  The  cost  of  obtaining  the 
honor  (?)  of  membership  in  this  "society"  is  $5.00. 


been  manufactured  by  a  Mr.  E.  C.  Getsinger.  It  now  seems 
that  Getsinger  and  Roberts  have  parted  company,  for  the 
country  is  being  flooded  with  letters  from  Roberts  in  which 
he  says: 

"In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  party  [Getsinger?]  who  formerly 
manufactured  the  old  product  for  me  ...  is  now  attempting  to 
market  it  himself,  I  wish  to  avoid  the  dang'er  arising  from  anyone 
confusing  it  with  my  improved  treatment.  For  this  reason  I  have 
adopted  a  new  name,  Oleoxone  (oil  and  oxygon),  and  under  this  titl»> 
my  now  and  vnslly  improved  product  will  bo  marketed." 


254 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


MARK 


HYDRO 
ONES 

TREATMENT  OF 


RESPIRATORY' 
ANP  ALL  FORMS  OF 

TUBERCULOSIS 

C.S.  ROBERTS,  M.D. 

646   MADiSON  AVE 

NIW  YORK  CITY. 


I  ABU/    SERIAL 


I'hotographic  reproduction  of  two  labels,  one  from  the  "headache 
cure"  put  out  by  the  A.  D.  S.,  the  other  from  the  "consumption 
cure,"  Hydrocine  (now  called  Oleozone),  exploited  by  C.  S.  Rob- 
erts, one  of  the  original  directors  of  the  A.  D.  S.  Notice  that  the 
serial  number  on  the  two  labels  is  the  same,  indicating  a  common 
source. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


255 


On  the  other  hand  Mr.  Getsinger,  who  signs  himself  pro- 
prietor of  the  "Oxydase  Company,"  and  who,  apparently,  is 
the  Oxydase  Company,  has  attempted  to  checkmate  Dr.  Rob- 
erts by  means  of  post-cards  and  other  advertising  matter. 
He  says: 

"The  chemical  name  of  the  compound  is  'oxydized  hydro-carbon' 
and  later  it  was  named  'Hydrocine.'  In  the  present  perfected  form 
we  present  it  to  the  profession  under  the  name  'Oxydase.'  " 

That  there  may  be  no  mistake,  the  Oxydase  Company  sends 
out  a  printed  post-card  which  begins: 

"DEAR  DOCTOR  : — This  informs  you  that  Dr.  C.  S.  Roberts  of  New 
fork  is  no  longer  the  sales  agent  for  Hydrocine." 


A  shell  of  Hydrocin 
Tablets.  Exaft.  Sue. 


yellow 


New  York  City,  ^November         1908. 
Dear7  Doctor:— 

This  informs  you  that  Dr.  C.    S.  Roberts  of  N.    Y.,    is 
___  no  nSiijjerthe  Sales  Agent  for  Hydrocine.      The    Manufacturers 
.^    (since    1902)   themselves  Will  now  supply  you    with"  Genuine 
H  yjrocine,  put  up  in  Gelatin  Shells  and  thus  insure  you  an 
undiluted  tablet. 

AVOID    SUBSTITUTES    which    claim   to    be     super- 
oxidized,  yet  by  igniting  a  tablet  with  a   match    reveal! 
llanie,  agaiiibt  tlie  Oxygen-blue  flame  of  Hydrocine. 

These    substitutes   are    white,    whereas  it  is 
knowledge  that    Hydrocartx>ns    turn   a   peculiar    oxide-brown 
when  oxidized.     Such  is  the  color  of  Hydrocine  Tablets. 

ORDER  DIRECT  FROM  US.  Cash  with  order,  or 
COD.  Delivery  Charges  Prepaid.  West  of  the  Mississippi 
$2  30  per  100  or  Box.  East  of  the  Mississippi  $2.25  per 
Box.  Special  price  on  500  or  more.  Write  for  new  Litera- 

OXYDASE    COMPANY. 

515   LiXINGTOS   AVENUE  TEtEPHOKE  IZ5I  38TH  STR. 

An  Oxyteiutlng  A«ent  In  Therapeutic!. 


KEW    YORK. 


Photographic  reproduction  (reduced)  of  a  postal  card  sent 
out  by  Getsinger  after  his  break  with  Roberts,  in  which  he  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  Roberts  is  no  longer  the  sales-agent 
for  Hydrocine.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Getsinger  rechristened  his 
product  Oxydase.  In  the  original  card  the  words  "Hydrocine  is 
now  called  Oxydase"  were  imprinted  with  a  rubber  stamp  over  the 
picture  of  the  shell  of  hydrocine.  Most  of  this  is  lost  in  the  photo- 
graphic reproduction  here  given. 


BBIXGING   TESTIMONIALS    UP   TO   DATE 

The  advertising  "literature,"  including  testimonials  of  the 
apparently  defunct  Hydrocine  Company,  seems  to  have  re- 
verted to  Mr.  Getsinger,  as  the  Oxydase  Company's  pamphlets 
are  practically  a  re-hash  of  the  old  Hydrocine  matter.  In  this 
connection,  it  is  interesting  to  note  how  testimonials  are  over- 
worked. One  of  the  most  imposing  testimonials  in  the  old 
Hydrocine  pamphlet  was  that  accredited  to  Dr.  O.  P.  Barber 
of  Saginaw,  Mich.  In  this  testimonial,  Dr.  Barber  was  quoted 
as  saying: 

"I  was  looking  for  a  case  to  try  Hydrocine  on,  which  Mr.  George 
B.  Morley,  President  Second  National  Bank,  had  brought  home  with 
him  from  New  York,  and  was  furnished  me  by  him  for  nearly  all 
the  cases  I  have  treated." 


25(i 


We  called  attention  in  our  previous  article  to  the  somewhat 
unusual  course  of  a  physician  administering  a  remedy  of  whose 
virtues  he  learned  from  the  layman  who  furnished  it.  This 
objection  cannot  be  raised,  however,  to  this  same  testimonial 
of  Dr.  Barber's  as  it  now  appears  in  the  Oxydase  "literature." 
While  it  is  used  practically  verbatim,  except  for  the  substitu- 


He  then  came  to  see  me,  at  my  request,  as  I  was 
looking  for  a  case  to  trv  hvdrocine  on.  which  Mr. 
George  B.  Morley,  President  Second  National 
Bank,  hail  brought  home  with  him  from  New 
York,  and  was  furnished  me  by  him  for  nearly 
all  the  cases  I  have  treated. 

His  condition  was  such  that  I  had  no  hopes 
whatever  of  helping  him  with  any  remedy,  but 
Mr.  Morley  had  so  excited  my  curiosity  regard- 
ing ihis  remedy  by  his  description  of  cases  he 
had  talked  with  in  New  York,  alleged  to  have 
been  cured  by  this  treatment,  that  I  put  him  on 
the  medicine. 

J2eaaa^iuur-4t^ 


2 


\     He  then  came  to  see  me,  at  my  request,  as  I 
(was   looking   for  a  case  to  trv   Hvdrocine  on. 
}  which  Mr.  George  R  Morlev,  President  Second 
1    National  Bank"  had broughThome  with  him  from 
New  York.    Mr._  Morley  had  so  excited  my  curi- 
osity regarding  this  remedy  by  his  description  of 
cases  he  had  talked  with  in  New  York,  alleged  _to 
have  been  cured  by  this  treatment,  that  I  put  him 
on  the  medicine. 


He  then  came  to  see  me,  at  my  request,  as  I  was  / 
looking  for  a  case  on  which  to  try  the  Getsin^er  I 
treatment,  which  Dr..  George  B.  M.  had  brought 
with  him  from  New  York.     Dr^M.  had  so  ex- 
cited _  my  curiosity  regarding  this  remedj  by  his 
description  of  cases  he  had  talked  with  in  New 
York,  alleged  to  have  been  cured  by  this  treatment, 
that  1  put  Goldsmith  on  the  medicine. 


The  evolution  of  a  testimonial.  From  the  Goldsmith  Case 
credited  to  Dr.  O.  P.  Barber :  1,  As  it  appeared  in  the  earlier 
Hydrocine  pamphlets ;  2,  from  the  later  Hydrocine  "literature" ; 
8,  as  It  is  now  in  the  Oxydase  pamphlet. 

tion  of  the  term  "Getsinger  treatment"  where  "Hydrocine" 
used  to  appear,  we  find  that  the  erstwhile  bank  president  has 
assumed  a  professional  rdle,  and  that  "Mr.  George  B.  Morley" 
has  become  "Dr.  George  B.  M."  We  are  loath  to  believe  that 
a  bank  president  would  give  up  his  highly  reputable  and  not 
unlncrative  business  for  the  purpose  of  developing  the  thera- 


1/x 


peutic  possibilities  of  rock  candy — even  though  there  may  be 
money  in  it.  Knowing  what  we  do  of  testimonials  and  their 
value,  it  seems  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  trans- 
formation of  the  banker  into  a  physician  is  merely  an  artistic 
touch  on  the  part  of  those  who  adapted  the  Hydrocine  adver- 
tisements to  the  Oxydase  product. 


OXIDAZE  TABLETS! 

Something  Everyone  ™^0ir; 
Should  Know        EMM5T 

How  to  relieve  Acute  Chronic  Bronchitis,  Catarrh.  Laryngitis  and  Whooping  : 
Cough.  How  to  keep  the  voice  of  singers  and  public  speakers  ciear  and  I 
strong.  How  to  restore  the  voice  when  overworked  or  impaired.  How  to  • 
fortify  the  body  against  the  invasion  of  all  germs  of  infection  of  '; 
whatever  name  or  nature. 


lory  tan  they  sMadfutly  coBiiau*  to  present  I 
it  wen  only  (or  Ue  hundred  trul  bol    No  fair  IT 


American  Oxidaze  Company 


.How«d.M.D..  Preset 


Home  Office:  0!d  Telegram  Building 
Worcester,  Mass. 


Photographic  reproduction  (much  reduced)  of  a  newspaper  adver- 
tisement of  Oxidaze,  the  latest  name  for  Getsinger's  product.  This 
stuff  is  sold  direct  to  the  public. 

THE   NEW    CHEMISTRY 

Much  stress  is  laid  by  the  Oxydase  Company  on  the  state- 
ment that  while  their  tablet  is  super-oxidized,  the  substitute 
tablet  [Oleozone?]  "is  not  oxidized."  To  prove  (?)  their 
point,  the  Oxydase  Company  says: 

"Place  the  tablet  between  tweezers,  ignite  with  a  match,  then 
observe  the  oxygen  blue  flame.  The  sputtering  is  the  explosion  of 
small  quantities  of  Oxygen  as  it  is  rapidly  liberated.  There  is  no 
smoke,  nor  odor,  proving  complete  combustion."  [Italics  ours. — ED.] 

This  test,  both  from  theoretical  and  practical  considerations, 
deserves  notice.  Theoretically,  because  oxygen  being,  in  air, 


258 

an  incombustible  gas,  can  neither  explode  nor  burn  with  a  blue 
or  any  other  kind  of  flame;  practically,  because,  the  statement 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  there  was  some  smoke  and 
a  distinct  odor  of  burning  sugar  when  a  sample  Oxydase  tab- 
let was  ignited. 

The  "oxygenating"  power  of  Oxydase  and  its  varied  thera- 
peutic indications  are  set  forth  in  the  following  weirdly  con- 
structed sentence: 

"With  20  remedial  impulses  In  septemia  within  ten  hours,  or 
longer  on  the  same  dosag-e,  is  a  formidable  weapon  in  the  hands  of  a 
physician — in  cases  of  Typhoid  Fever,  and  other  sudden  invasions 
of  disease ;  in  Croup,  Pneumonia,  Diphtheria,  Asthma,  Abscesses, 
Bronchitis,  etc.,  Oxydase  will  give  you  surprising  results." 

OLEOZONE  "STRICTLY  ETHICAL" 

In  calling  attention  to  his  "improved  Hydrocine,"  Dr.  Rob- 
erts emphasizes  that  he  is  "distributing  this  remedy  along 
strictly  ethical  lines  only."  In  fact,  he  "will  not  even  place 
it  in  drug  stores,  unless  to  accommodate  a  physician  at  his 
request."  This  course  is  somewhat  of  a  departure  from  that 
which  he  followed  in  exploiting  Hydrocine. 

THE  "COWLES   INSTITUTE" 

But  Dr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  Getsinger  are  apparently  not  the 
only  ones  who  dispense  "oxygenated  products."  We  have 
received  letters  from  various  parts  of  the  country  inquiring 
about  a  New  York  concern  calling  itself  the  "Cowles  Insti- 
tute." A  pamphlet  sent  out  by  this  "institute"  has  printed 
on  the  cover  a  red  double-cross — a  misuse  of  the  international 
emblem  of  the  campaign  against  tuberculosis  that  is  as  unwar- 
ranted as  it  should  be  illegal.  On  the  title  page  we  read: 

"Established  for  the  treatment  of  tuberculosis  in  its  various  forms 
by  entirely  new  and  special  methods  of  medication  complying  with 
the  highest  ethical  standards,  by  which  full  recoveries  in  uncom- 
plicated cases  of  tuberculosis  are  generally  made  in  from  six  to  nine 
months  without  the  necessity  of  changing  climate  or  enforcing 
severe  or  rigid  hygienic-dietetic  rules." 

A   SUBTLE   BEMEDY 

The  "entirely  new  and  special  methods  of  medication"  is 
"by  means  of  an  easily  digested  specially  oxygenated  product 
that  by  regular  process  of  assimilation  conveys  Atomic  Oxygen 
in  proper  combination  direct  to  the  circulation.  .  .  ." 
This  wonderful  remedy  is  far  too  subtle  a  product  to  dis- 
tribute indiscriminately  to  the  medical  profession,  much  as  the 
Cowles  Institute  would  like  to  do  so, 

"but  owing  to  the  necessity  of  keeping  it  under  flxed  conditions  of 
light  and  temperature  and  of  using  it  within  a  very  limited  period 
of  time  in  order  to  obtain  the  proper  results,  it  is  manifestly  impos- 
sible to  do  this." 

We  find,  however,  that  the  "treatment"  is  not  to  be  entirely 
"cornered,"  as  letters  are  sent  to  physicians  stating  that  it  is 


•Ss""?*    .-S*ll    -8a  .•Iflfc* 

:  ii5»a.E?    •   SttjfS     :  |§     -  o.S  gjq^ 
&S-S-Z        S§-33         Si3        0.5-3^8 


SI 

3    o 


260  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

the  desire  of  the  "institute"  to  place  the  "oxygenated  product" 
in  the  "hands  of  at  least  one  competent  physician  in  every 
community  of  consequence."  To  those  physicians  who  have 
a  tuberculous  patient  under  their  care,  they  would  "be  glad 
to  send  a  sufficient  quantity  to  demonstrate  its  value  without 
any  expense  except  express  charges."  As  to  what  may  be 
expected  from  this  "treatment,"  the  modest  claim  is  made: 

".  .  .  practically  90  per  cent,  of  the  cases  we  take  in  the  first 
and  second  stages  of  tuberculosis  make  a  complete  and  apparently 
permanent  recovery." 

We  have,  then,  apparently  three  concerns  "curing"  tuber- 
culosis by  means  of  sugar  and  essential  oils,  two  of  them 
operated  by  laymen.  The  similarity  of  the  claims  made,  and 
of  the  methods  pursued,  by  this  trio  of  "consumption  cures" 
is  best  shown  by  the  quotations  \ve  have  taken  from  the 


LAS  PASTILLAS  "OXYDASE  GETSINGER." 

AFCCCIONIS   PULMONARES. 


In   PULMON'IAS. 


CIA.  LATINO-AMERICANA  DE  OXYDASE,  S.  A. 

AVENIDA  16  DE  SEPTIEMBRE  26.  IER.  PISO. 
APARTADO  2590. 

MEXICO,  D.  F. 


Photographic  reproduction   (reduced)  of  a  "return  envelope"  sent 
it  by  the  South  American  branch  of  the  Oxydase  concern.    Quack- 

v  knows   nn  fi^o^ranhic  limitations 


out  oy  me  oouin  American   uraucn 
ery  knows  no  geographic  limitation 


"literature"  and  correspondence  of  the  three  concerns 
and  arranged  in  parallel  columns. —  (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Mar.  20,  1909.) 

Oxidaze 

The  latest  change  in  the  name  of  Getsinger's  product  is 
"Oxidaze"  put  out  by  the  American  Oxidaze  Company.  This 
company  is  said  to  have  purchased  the  formula  of  Getsinger 
who  is  no  longer  connected "  with  the  business. 

The  Oxidaze  concern  sells  its  product  direct  to  the  public. 
The  nostrum  is  recommended  for  tuberculosis,  pneumonia, 
asthma,  bronchitis,  catarrh,  laryngitis,  whooping-cough,  etc., 
and  this  evil-smelling  mixture  is  said  "to  fortify  the  body 
against  the  invasion  of  all  germs  or  infection,  of  whatever 
name  or  nature."  While  most  of  the  men  connected  with 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  261 

this  new  company  seem  to  be  laymen,  one  individual — its 
president — is  a  physician,  and  his  facsimile  signature  appears 
on  the  advertising  matter  and  the  packages  of  the  nostrum. 
This  man  is  Eugene  Howard,  M.D.,  who  was  graduated  by 
the  Missouri  Medical  College  in  1874.  Howard,  it  is  said, 
has  not  practiced  medicine  for  the  past  twenty-five  years  but 
has  been  engaged  in  business.  He  is  not  registered  in  Massa- 
chusetts, having  discontinued  practice  prior  to  the  registra- 
tion act  of  1894.  The  assumption  seems  justified  that  the  use 
of  the  title  "M.D."  after  the  name  of  the  president  of  the 
Oxidaze  Company  is  for  the  purpose  of  lending  an  air  of 
respectability  to  an  otherwise  disreputable  business. 

To  determine  the  composition  of  this  latest  form  of  the 
"sugar  cure"  for  consumption  so  that  it  might  be  compared 
with  its  predecessors,  an  analysis  of  the  stuff  was  made  in 
the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion. The  chemists'  report  follows: 

LABORATORY  REPORT 

"The  tablets  received  in  a  carton  labelled  'Oxidaze  Tablets 
No.  1  Dark.  A  most  effective  remedy  in  the  treatment  of 
Tuberculosis,  Pneumonia,  Asthma  .  .  .  etc.  .  .  .  prepared 
for  American  Oxidaze  Company,  Worcester,  Mass.,'  are  dark 
brown  in  color  possessing  a  strong  odor  and  taste  of  essential 
oils.  A  general  separation  of  ingredients  yielded  the  following 
results: 

Chloroform-soluble    matter 10.98  per  cent. 

Water-insoluble  matter 7.86  per  cent. 

Water-soluble  matter    (by  difference) .    81.16  per  cent. 

100.00 

"The  chloroform-soluble  matter  appears  to  be,  at  least  in 
large  part,  a  mixture  of  volatile  oils. 

"The  water-soluble  portion  appears  to  consist  of  sugar  con- 
taining some  dye  and  a  trace  of  potassium  iodid,  the  latter 
amounting  to  0.14  per  cent,  of  the  tablet. 

"The  water-insoluble  matter  consists  almost  entirely  of  corn 
starch. 

"The  specimen  of  Oxidaze  tablets  examined  may  then  be  said 
to  consist  essentially  of  sugar  containing  a  small  amount  of 
volatile  oils,  starch  and  a  trace  of  potassium  iodid." 

From  this  analysis,  it  is  evident  that  the  tablets  now  sold 
as  Oxidaze  are  of  the  same  character  as  those  formerly 
exploited  as  Hydrocine.  The  substitution  of  a  little  starch  for 
some  of  the  sugar,  the  addition  of  a  little  more  oil  and  the 
presence  of  a  minute  quantity  of  potassium  iodid  mark  the 
only  essential  difference  between  the  Oxidaze  tablet  and  its 
prototype,  Hydrocine.  In  spite,  then,  of  its  nomenclatorial 
evolution,  the  "sugar  cure"  for  consumption  remains  just  as 
worthless  and  just  as  silly  as  it  was  before  it  sprang  new- 
born from  the  fertile  brain  of  its  inventor.  So  long,  however, 
as  the  public  clings  to  the  old  belief  that  any  preparation  that 
tastes  bad  and  smells  worse  must  have  therapeutic  value,  so 


262  I'JfOl'ACAXDA     FOR     KEFOlfM 

long  will  the  J.  Rufus  Wallingfords  of  the  pharmaceutical 
world  continue  to  capitalize  the  hopefulness  and  credulity  of 
ignorance.  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  30,  1911,  with 
modifications. ) 


PANTOPON     DETOXICATED 

A  remarkable  feat  of  pharmacologic  exorcism  has  lately 
been  performed  in  Germany  on  the  recently  introduced  pro- 
prietary purified  extract  of  opium  called  Pantopon,  and  the 
result  is  something  like  the  play  of  Hamlet  with  Hamlet 
left  out.  Pantopon,  we  are  told,  is  obtained  from  opium 
by  expelling  the  dross  and  the  impurity  leaving  a  collection 
of  the  pure  alkaloids  in  the  form  of  hydrochlorids.  Naturally 
as  Pantopon  contains  50  per  cent,  of  morphin  it  has  the  dis- 
advantages of  morphin,  although  this  fact  seems  to  have 
been  largely  overlooked  by  its  enthusiastic  supporters.  It 
was  said  that  the  presence  of  the  other  alkaloids  of  opium 
would  somehow  or  other  render  Pantopon  a  harmless  sub- 
stance. H.  Winternitz,1  however,  found  that  this  was  not 
true.  In  a  case  of  tabetic  crisis  he  found  that  the  morphin 
in  Pantopon  produced  the  same  dangerous  depression  of  the 
respiration  as  morphin  when  it  was  not  in  Pantopon.  Winter- 
nitz therefore  determined  to  cast  out  the  devil  from  Pantopon 
and  make  a  new  proprietary.  Accordingly  he  got  the  manu- 
facturers to  demorphinize  Pantopon. 

Behold  the  mutilated  somnifer  became  as  mild  as  a  summer 
morning!  Pantopon  minus  morphin  no  longer  disturbed  the 
breathing  and  it  could  be  given  in  doses  fifty  times  as  large 
as  its  parent,  the  original  Pantopon.  In  these  doses  the  new 
remedy  seemed  to  be  of  benefit  in  a  case  of  insomnia,  which 
might  have  been  expected,  for  codein  at  least  was  left.  This 
tail  end  of  Pantopon  has  already  had  its  proprietary  christen- 
ing with  the  baptismal  name  "Opon,"  derived  from  Pantopon 
by  cutting  off  the  "pant."  As  with  Pantopon  we  may  soon 
expect  to  see  medical  literature  enriched  by  a  fresh  crop  of 
observations  on  this  new  and  wonderful  German  product.  We 
would  suggest  that  the  next  appropriate  step  in  the  proprie- 
tary industry  would  be  the  removal  of  the  codein  from 
"opon,"  leaving  a  new  remedy  for  which  the  name  "pon" 
would  readily  occur. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  11, 
1912.) 


PAPINE 

A  Disguised  Morphin  Solution 

To  the  thinking  physician  it  should  be  evident  that  a  prepa- 
ration containing  morphin  must  possess  not  only  all  of  the 
valuable  properties  of  this  drug,  but  also  all  of  the  objec- 

1.  Thor.ip.  Monntsh.,  March.   1011. 


M18CKLL.\\KOl'X     \OXTIWM8  2(53 

tionablc  ones.  There  are  still  some  physicians,  apparently, 
who  give  credence  to  the  assertions  of  the  manufacturers  con- 
cerning a  morphin  preparation  from  which,  it  is  claimed,  all 
of  the  undesirable  morphin  effects  have  been  removed.  The 
following  query  from  a  correspondent  illustrates  this  fact: 

"Will  you  inform  me  as  to  the  contents  of  "Papine"?  I  have  a 
case  of  chronic  interstitial  nephritis,  and  my  consultant  insists  on 
giving  this  preparation.  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  what  drugs  it  con- 
tained and  his  answer  was  'one-eighth  of  a  grain  of  morphin  with 
the  objectionable  parts  of  the  drug  removed.'  " 

The  query  was  referred  to  the  Association  Laboratory, 
which  submitted  the  following  report: 

For  many  years  Papine  has  been  advertised  by  its  makers. 
Battle  &  Company,  St.  Louis,  as  an  anodyne.  In  the  cir- 
culars Papine  is  described  in  part  as  follows: 

"Papine  represents  in  pharmaceutical  form  the  purely  anodyne 
princip'es  of  opium  freed  from  the  narcotic  and  tetanising  constit- 
uents." 

"Papine  is  the  anodyne  or  pain-relieving  principle  of  opium,  the 
narcotic  and  convulsive  elements  being  eliminated.  One  fluid 
drachm  is  equal  in  anodyne  power  to  one-eighth  grain  of  .morphin." 

"Through  special  methods  of  preparation,  the  anodyne  and 
analgesic  principles  of  Papaver  somniferitm  are  so  extracted  as  to 
free  them  of  the  narcotic  and  convulsive  elements  that  ever 
have  been,  and  must  ever  continue  to  be  serious  objections  to 
the  use  of  opium  and  its  common  derivatives.  ...  No  demand 
is  more  regularly  made  on  the  physician  than  that  for  the  relief  of 
pain,  and  to  be  able  to  afford  it  promptly  and  completely,  without 
the  slightest  deleterious  action,  is  an  advantage  that  cannot  be 
overestimated." 

"Unlike  most  derivatives  and  preparations  of  opium,  Papine 
neither  nauseates  nor  constipates ;  nor  does  it  inhibit  the  secretory 
functions  of  the  body." 

"In  conditions  of  extreme  nervousness,  especially  in  women, 
recourse  to  morphin  is  attended  by  the  very  real  danger  of  the 
formation  of  a  habit.  Lastly,  opium  and  its  alkaloids  must  not  be 
administered  to  persons  whose  kidneys  are  not  in  good  working 
order  on  account  of  the  risk  of  toxic  accumulation." 

"No  such  restriction  exists  in  respect  of  Papine,  its  action  being 
exerted  exclusively  on  the  element  pain  ;  in  other  words,  it  is  purely 
anodyne." 

"Papine  does  not  nauseate,  constipate  nor  create  a  habit." 

From  these  statements  the  incautious  physician  might  be 
led  to  infer  that  Papine  is  a  preparation  analogous  or  similar 
to  the  official  tincture  of  deodorized  opium.  Formerly  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  latter  preparation,  in  addition  to  removal 
of  the  odorous  substances,  narcotin,  then  thought  to  be  the 
principal  convulsive  alkaloid,1  was  also  removed.  By  the 
process  for  the  manufacture  of  this  tincture,  which  is  now 
official  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopeia,  most  of  the  narco- 
tine  is  found  in  the  finished  preparation.  While  it  is  a  com- 
paratively "simple  matter  to  remove  the  narcotin  from  opium 
and  its  preparations,  thus  eliminating  most  of  the  commonly 

1.  Narcotin    is    now   known    to    possess    very    little    physiologic 
effect. 


204 


reputed  "convulsive  elements,"2  to  remove  the  "narcotic  ele- 
ments" from  opium  would  result  in  destroying  the  integrity 
of  the  product.  The  reasons  for  this  are  that  morphin  is  the 
most  powerfully  narcotic  substance  found  in  opium,  and  it  is 
present  in  the  largest  proportion  of  any  of  the  alkalo'idal 
constituents.  Its  removal  from  an  opium  preparation  would, 
therefore,  render  that  preparation  practically  valueless. 

From  Papine,  however,  the  morphin  has  not  been  removed,  for 
since  the  passage  of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  the  label  has  to 
admit  that  Papine  contains  1  grain  of  morphin  in  each  ounce! 

A  specimen  of  Papine  was  examined  and  found  to  be  noth- 
ing more  than  a  simple  aqueous-alcoholic  solution  of  morphin. 
containing  glycerin.  The  preparation  is  flavored  to  imitate 
cherry  and  colored  with  cochineal.  With  the  exception  of 
morphin,  neither  narcotin,  codein  nor  other  opianic  alkaloids 


The  rapine  label  before  (on  left)  and  after  (on  right)  the  passage 
of  the  Pood  and  Drugs  Act.  And  the  exploiters  of  this  morphin 
solution  have  the  effrontery  to  claim  that  it  does  not  create  a 
habit ! 

were  found,  while  meconic  acid,  a  characteristic  constituent  of 
opium,  was  absent.  Since  Papine  is  claimed  not  to  cause 
constipation,  and  as  is  well  known,  this  condition  is  frequently 
produced  by  morphin,  it  seemed  possible  that  Papine  might 
contain  laxative  substances.  On  examination,  however, 
neither  cascara,  rhubarb,  phenolphthalein  nor  laxative  salts 
were  found. 

While  Battle  &  Co.  have  persistently  exploited  Papine  as 
being  an  opium  preparation  having  none  of  the  objectionable 
qualities  of  opium,  the  analysis  shows  that  the  paradoxical 
claims  made  for  it  cannot  be  substantiated.  In  prescribing 
morphin  there  is  an  abundance  of  official  preparations  to 
choose  from,  and  there  certainly  is  no  necessity  or  excuse  for 
resorting  to  the  much  more  expensive  and  in  no  way  superior 
Papine. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  29,  Wll.) 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  265 

PAS-AVENA 

How  Its  Formula  Evades  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act 
Pas-Avena,  is  a  widely  advertised  "nerve  sedative  and  hyp- 
notic." The  preparation  is  put  on  the  market  by  the  Pas-Avena 
Company  of  New  York  City.  As  a  headliner  the  advertise- 
ments of  the  remedy  state  that  the  formula  has  always  been 
on  every  bottle,  and  this,  THE  JOURNAL  states,  has  a  twofold 
object:  It  aims  to  give  the  impression  that  the  preparation  is 
non -secret,  and  it  is  calculated  to  inspire  confidence  in  the — 
apparently — scientific  nature  of  the  product.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  should  do  neither.  The  preparation  is  essentially  secret 
in  its  composition  because  of  the  presence  in  the  formula  of  an 
unknown  quantity  and  the  liability  to  change  of  formula  at 
the  whim  of  the  manufacturer.  On  the  bottles  some  time  ago 
the  following  formula  was  given: 

Each  tablespconful  contains  : 

Passiflora    20  minims. 

Avena   sativa    10  minims. 

Somnalgesine    (CsoHogNjjOo)     2  grains. 

The  first  two  ingredients  are  plants  in  whose  therapeutic 
value  but  little  confidence  is  placed.  Somnalgesine,  the  third 
constituent,  is  a  secret  preparation,  the  chemical  formula  of 
which  the  manufacturers  were  kind  enough  to  add.  To  a  chem- 
ist, however,  the  formula  is  absurd  and  impossible,  and  is 
included  either  because  of  the  manufacturer's  ignorance  or 
because  of  an  intent  to  deceive  the  profession.  Since  the  Food 
and  Drugs  Act  became  law,  the  label  of  Pas-Avena  has  been 
changed  to  read: 

Alcohol    8.37  per  cent,  by  volume. 

Anilipyrine 16.00    grains    per    fluid    ounce. 

Guaranteed  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  of  June  30,  1906. 

Substitution  of  anilpyrine  for  Somnalgesine  gives  little  more 
information.  Chemists  may  recognize  this  as  a  name  applied 
to  a  mixture  said  to  be  formed  by  the  fusion  of  two  mole- 
cules of  antipyrin  and  one  molecule  of  acetanilid.  To  physi- 
cians, however,  the  name  carries  with  it  the  same  mystery  as 
did  Somnalgesine.  Attention  is  directed  to  the  fact  that  by 
publishing  the  guarantee  under  the  pure  food  laws  the  com- 
pany presumes  to  disperse  all  doubt  and  criticism,  assuming 
that  the  majority  of  physicians  will  be  satisfied  with  the 
guarantee  as  it  stands.  Inasmuch  as  the  preparation  contains 
acetanilid  and  antipyrin,  however,  the  manufacturers  are 
disregarding  that  part  of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  which 
requires  that  the  name  of  the  parent  substance — in  this  case 
acetanilid  and  antipyrin — be  put  in  parenthesis.  The  laws  are 
so  well  defined  that  physicians  appear  to  be  content  to  do 
nothing,  firmly  believing  that  they  are  safe  from  the  defraud- 
ing methods  of  unscrupulous  manufacturers. — (Abstracted 
from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  7,  1908.) 


266 

Proprietary    House    Insolvent — and    Physicians    Lose? 

The  Pas  Avena  Chemical  Company,  whose  product,  Pas 
Avena,  was  exposed  in  THE  JOURNAL  a  few  months  ago,  has 
recently  failed,  according  to  our  pharmaceutical  exchanges. 
In  recording  the  fact,  one  journal  says: 

"It  is  reported  that  considerable  stock  of  this  com- 
pany had  been  sold  to  physicians." 

At  this  time,  when  physicians  are  importuned  daily  to  invest 
money  in  various  wildcat  pharmaceutical  concerns,  this  sen- 
tence might  well  be  used  "to  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale." 


PEPTO-MANGAN    (GUDE) 

Scientific  Work  Misrepresented  and  Commercialized 
In  this  article  the  misuse  by  the  exploiters  of  pepto-mangan 
of  the  government  report  on  anemia  in  Porto  Rico  is  exposed. 
The  conclusion  of  the  government  commission,  which  investi- 
gated the  anemia  prevalent  in  Porto  Rico,  was  that  iron  was 
of  subsidiary  importance  in  treatment,  and  that  the  carbonate, 
as  represented  by  Blaud's  pills,  seemed  to  give  the  best  results. 
Immediately  Messrs.  M.  J.  Breitenbach  &  Co.  used  this  report 
to  exploit  their  preparation  (pepto-mangan) — first  in  adver- 
tisements and  reading  notices  and  later  in  a  garbled  extract 
of  the  report  printed  in  pamphlet  form  and  scattered  broadcast 
among  physicians.  This  pamphlet  conveyed  the  idea  that 
pepto-mangan  had  been  endorsed  by  the  government  as  supe- 
rior to  any  other  iron  preparation,  and  that  it  had  proved 
most  efficacious  in  the  treatment  of  anemia;  that  "this  report 
alone  would  suffice  to  establish  pepto-mangan  at  once  as  the 
foremost  hematinic  known."  The  commission  later  published 
a  denial,  stating  that  pepto-mangan  was  used  by  them  only 
for  a  little  while,  because  it  was  found  to  be  of  even  less  value 
than  other  iron  preparations.  In  another  pamphlet  sent  out 
by  the  same  company  which  controls  pepto-mangan  in  this 
country  are  statements  regarding  the  treatment  of  infantile 
anemia  at  the  Infant's  Hospital  on  Randall's  Island,  New  York 
City.  THE  JOURNAL  sent  its  own  representative  to  examine 
the  books  of  the  hospital,  who  found  conditions  quite  different 
from  those  represented  in  the  pamphlet.  Just  as  the  Porto 
Rico  commission  furnished  no  evidence  of  such  exaggerated 
value  of  pepto-mangan,  but  expressed  their  opinion  that  anthel- 
mintic  and  not  reconstructive  treatment  is  needed  in  uncinari- 
asis,  and  that  iron  in  other  forms  was  of  more  advantage  as 
far  as  it  went,  so  in  the  case  of  the  Infant's  Hospital  the 
records  and  daily  charts  of  the  cases  show  a  remarkable  differ- 
ence between  the  results  of  treatment  and  the  claims  of  the 
pepto-mangan  pamphlet.  Two  things  are  illustrated  by  these 
pamphlets  and  their  refutation.  The  first  is  that  so-called 
scientific  reports  are  only  of  value  in  proportion  to  the  veracity 
and  reliability  of  the  writer,  and  the  second  and  equally 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  267 

deplorable  fact  is  that  firms  composed  of  men  who  are  per- 
sonally honorable  are  willing  to  obtain  business  by  such 
unjustifiable  methods.  If  it  is  said  in  their  defense  that  they 
depend  on  the  truthfulness  of  their  writers,  it  does  not  relieve 
them  from  responsibility.  There  is  too  much  apparent  tend- 
ency on  the  part  of  proprietary  houses  to  accept  any  report, 
statement  or  testimonial  that  is  favorable  to  their  business 
without  question  and  to  suppress  apparently  unfavorable 
reports  or  facts.  This  tendency  has  helped  to  produce  the 
present  deplorable  condition  in  the  proprietary  medicine 
business. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  23, 
1905,  and  April  6,  1901.) 


PHENALGIN— A  TYPICAL  EXAMPLE 

Last  June1  we  devoted  considerable  space  to  the  extravagant 
therapeutic  claims  made  for  "Phenalgin"  by  its  venders.  At 
this  time  we  propose  to  refer  to  the  misinformation — to  use 
a  conservative  term — that  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  has 
promulgated  regarding  the  composition  of  their  preparation. 

In  June,  1905,  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  offi- 
cially published  to  the  medical  profession  of  the  United  States 
the  information  that  repeated  examinations  showed  that 
"Phenalgin"  is  a  simple  mixture  of  acetanilid  and  sodium 
bicarb,  or  ammonium  carb.  So  far  as  we  know,  no  direct 
denial  of  the  truth  of  this  has  been  made.  There  has  appeared 
what  we  presume  is  meant  as  an  answer;  it  is  couched  in  this 
sentence, 

Phenalgin  is  just  what  we  have  always  said  it  to  be. 

From  this  expression — which  has  been  repeated  in  bold,  black 
letters  in  practically  all  the  advertisements  since  last  June — 
we  presume  that  we  are  to  understand  that  in  the  past  they 
have  stated  what  it  is. 

It  would  have  been  just  as  easy  and  more  satisfactory  if  the 
Phenalgin  people,  instead  of  saying:  "Phenalgin  is  just  what 
we  have  always  said  it  to  be,"  had  said  what  it  is,  since  the 
average  physician  has  neither  the  time  nor  the  inclination  to 
look  up  their  literature. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  desire  to  know  what  the  vend- 
ers of  Phenalgin  "have  said  it  to  be,"  we  have  gone  over  their 
advertising  literature  of  the  past,  with  the  following  results, 
which  are  in  the  form  of  quotations  from  their  advertisements: 

An  American  Coal-Tar  Product — Phenalgin — the  only  synthetic 
stimulant,  non-toxic,  antipyretic,  analgesic  and  hypnotic. 

Phenalgin  is  the  ONLY  ammoniated  Synthetic  Coal-Tar  Product 
made  from  Chemically  Pure  Materials.  [What  have  the  Ammonol 
people  to  say  to  this?— Ed.] 

A  synthetic  Coal-Tar  Product  of  the  Amldo-Benzine  series,  con- 
taining Nascent  Ammonia. 

1.  See  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  June  24,  1905,  p.  1997. 


268  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

These  two  chemicals  ["stimulant  ammonia  of  coal-tar  origin"  and 
"chemically  pure  phenylacetamlde"]  combine  under  certain  condi- 
tions so  as  to  obtain  a  produce  which  he  [Dr.  Cyrus  Edson]  named 
Phenalgin  or  Ammoniated  Phenylacetamide. 

Phenalgin  is  a  compound  of  peculiar  character  which  can  not  be 
extemporaneously  made  into  tablets  from  the  powdered  drug, 
without  seriously  changing  and  impairing  its  medicinal  qualities. 

We  believe  these  quotations  are  sufficient  to  show  what  the 
Etna  Chemical  Company  has  "always  said  it  to  be."  In  going 
over  the  literature  for  several  years  past  we  find  the  above 
stated  in  the  same,  or  similar,  words  in  nearly  all  of  it.  From 
the  above  four  statements  may  be  deduced:  1.  They  have 
stated  that  Phenalgin  is  a  synthetic1  preparation;  2,  they  have 
conveyed  the  impression  that  Phenalgin  is  a  chemical  com- 
pound; 3,  they  have  announced  repeatedly  that  it  is  the  "only" 
preparation  of  the  kind,  and  4,  they  have  claimed  that  Phenal- 
gin is  non-toxic. 

We  believe  that  these  four  statements  represent  in  plain 
English  what  the  above  quotations  mean.  They  are  all  abso- 
lutely false.  Phenalgin  is  not  synthetic;  it  is  not  a  chem- 
ical compound ;  it  is  not  the  only  ammoniated  phenylacetamide, 
or  the  only  acetanilid  mixture  containing  carbonate  of  am- 
monia— and  it  is  most  positively  toxic. 

In  one  place  it  is  stated  that  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson 

Employed  his  great  facilities  for  chemical  research  and  opportuni- 
ties for  chemical  experiment  for  the  purpose  of  producing  a  formula 
for  a  combination  of  stimulant  ammonia  of  coal-tar  origin  (sic)  and 
chemically  pure   phenylacetamlde,   also  a   coal-tar   product 
which  he  named  phenalgin,  or  ammoniated  phenylacetamide. 

.In  another  place  we  read  that  Phenalgin  is  made 

Under  the  Immediate  personal  supervision  of  the  original  Inventor 
of  ammoniated  coal-tar  products. 

By  comparing  this  last  quotation — which  is  from  a  current — 
1905 — advertisement — with  the  preceding  one  it  will  be  noticed 
that  we  are  asked  to  believe  that  Phenalgin  is  made  "under  the 
immediate  supervision  of"  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson — and  yet  Dr. 
Cyrus  Edson  died  Dec.  2,  1903.  This  is  equal  to  Lydia  Pink- 
ham's  prescribing  for  the  suffering  women  of  America  when 
the  dear  old  soul  had  been  dead  for  over  twenty  years. 

We  have  before  us  a  full-page  advertisement  taken  from  a 
recent  number  of  a  weekly  medical  journal,  which  possibly  is 
meant  as  an  answer  to  the  announcement  of  the  Council  on 
Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  that  Phenalgin  is  a  simple  acetanilid 
mixture.  The  advertisement  is  divided  into  two  parts;  the 
first  part  is  as  follows: 

1.  Dunglison's  Dictionary :  "Synthetic — In  chemistry  the  forma- 
tion of  a  more  complex  body  by  the  union  of  simpler  bodies." 
Dorland's  Dictionary :  "Synthesis — The  artificial  building  up  of  a 
chemic  compound  by  the  union  of  its  elements."  "Union"  is  not 
mixing. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


269 


FACTS  ABOUT  ACETANILIDUM  (ANCIENT  HISTORY) 
It  has  long  been  recognized  that  Acetanilidum  and  most  other 
coal-tar  products  are  apt  to  exert  a  depressing  influence  upon 
the  heart,  but  there  has  never  been  any  doubt  about  its  great 
value  as  a  pain  reliever  and  temperature  reducer.  Its  thera- 
peutic value  has,  however,  been  practically  nullified  by  the 
danger  of  cyanosis  and  other  evils  caused  by  its  well-known 
depressant  action  and  the  difficulty  of  obtaining  it  In  a  pure 
state.  It  being  known  that  certain  deleterious  substances  are 
often  to  be  found  in  Commercial  Acetanilidum  and  that  much  of 
the  Injurious  effect  attributed  to  this  drug  is  entirely  traceable 
to  these  impurities.3 


The  above  are  also  falsehoods.  The  therapeutic  value  of 
acetanilid  is  not  "practically  nullified  ...  by  the  difficulty 
of  obtaining  it  in  a  pure  state."  Neither  is  it  true  that 
"much  of  the  injurious  effect  attributed  to  this  drug  is  en- 
tirely traceable  to  these  impurities."  While  deleterious  sub- 
stances may  be  found  in  commercial  acetanilid,  they  are  not 
found  in  the  substance  offered  as  medicinally  pure  acetanilid 
by  reputable  firms.  Pure  medicinal  acetanilid  is  a  cheap 
article,  costing  less  than  30  cents  a  pound,  for  it  is  a  substance 
that  is  easily  and  cheaply  purified.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  injuri- 
ous effects  are  in  the  acetanilid  itself  and  not  in  the  impurities 
it  may  occasionally  contain. 

The  second  half  of  the  advertisement  in  part  is  as  follows : 


FACTS  ABOUT  PHENALGIN  (MODERN  SCIENCE) 
More  than  a  decade  ago  the  late  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson,  then  Health 
Commissioner  for  New  York  City  and  New  York  State,  recogniz- 
ing the  value  of  chemically  pure  Acetanilidum  as  a  therapeutic 
agent,  if  it  could  be  deprived  of  its  depressant  quality,  employed 
his  great  facilities  for  chemical  research  and  opportunities  for 
chemical  experiment  for  the  purpose  of  producing  a  formula  for 
a  combination  of  Stimulant  Ammonia  of  coal-tar  origin  and 
chemically  pure  Phenylacetamide,  also  a  coal-tar  product.  These 
two  chemicals  combine  under  certain  conditions  so  as  to  obtain 
a  produce  which  he  named  Phenalgin  or  Ammoniated  Phenyl- 
acetamide. 


There  is  more  of  the  same  character.  In  the  first  place,  we 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  "Phenylacetamide"  is  substituted 
for  "Acetanilidum"  when  it  is  to  go  into  Phenalgin.  To  mys- 
tify is  one  of  the  "tricks  of  the  trade."  Few  physicians  keep 
up  with  chemical  terms  and,  therefore,  are  not  supposed  to 
know  that  Phenylacetamide  is  one  of  the  chemical  names  for 
Acetanilid. 

The  reference  here  to  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson  brings  up  another  fact, 
and  that  is  that  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  tries  to  convey 
the  idea  that  Dr.  Edson  was  the  originator  of  Phenalgin.  We 
have  always  understood  that  Dr.  Cyrus  Edson  had  something 
to  do  with  pushing  Ammonol  and,  if  we  remember  rightly,  got 

3.  This  sentence  Is  not  complete,  but,  of  course,  this  is  imma- 
terial.    Little  things  like  an  incomplete  sentence  do  not  count. 


270  PROPAGANDA     FOR    REFORM 

into  some  trouble  thereby.  We  do  not  know  the  exact  facts, 
but  the  following  letter  shows  that  he  had  a  leaning  toward 
another  "ammoniated  phenylacetamid."  The  letter  is  dated 
"New  York,  Oct.  6,  1894,"  and  is  addressed  to  the  "Ammonol 
Chemical  Company." 

"During  the  past  six  or  eight  months  I  have  used  Ammonol 
extensively  In  my  private  practice.  I  have  found  It  excellent  In  the 
treatment  of  neuralgias  and  for  rheumatism.  I  have  also  verified 
your  statement  In  two  cases  that  were  suffering  from  alcoholism. 
My  experience  justifies  me  In  saying  that  It  Is  the  safest  and  best 
of  the  analgesic  coal-tar  derivatives.  "Very  truly  yours. 

CYRUS  BDSON,  M.D." 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  know  that  the  principal  member 
of  the  firm  of  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  was  at  one  time  a 
member  of  the  Ammonol  Company,  and  it  is  usually  under- 
stood, we  believe,  that  Phenalgin  is  practically  the  same  as 
Ammonol — in  fact,  the  analyses  published  regarding  the  two 
preparations  show  this  to  be  a  fact. 

We  must  make  one  more  quotation : 

It  makes  little  difference  to  a  physician  whether  Phenalgin  Is  a 
mixture  or  a  compound  or  a  synthetic,  with  a  name  that  would 
destroy  the  orthographic  balance  of  the  universe,  provided  it  Is  just 
what  he  has  always  found  It  to  he. 

Very  complimentary  to  the  intelligence  and  common  sense 
of  physicians,  is  it  not? 

Suppose  some  fellow  should  get  up  a  scheme  to  exploit  a 
mixture  of  quinin  and  some  cheap,  harmless  substance,  say, 
starch — equal  parts  of  each.  Suppose  he  gives  it  a  fanciful 
name,  puts  it  on  the  market  at  a  high  price,  say  $1.25  an 
ounce,  and  announces  it  as  a  new  synthetic  with  wonderful 
therapeutic  qualities.  Suppose  that  the  schemer  then  adopts 
the  nostrum  vender's  methods  of  fooling  physicians  into  using 
his  product  by  getting  some  to  give  testimonials,  others  to 
furnish  write-ups,  and  then  subsidizes  medical  journals 
through  liberal  advertising  to  print  both  the  testimonials  and 
the  write-ups.  The  preparation  would,  of  course,  prove  to  be  a 
good  thing  if  it  were  used  in  liberal  quantities  where  quinin 
would  ordinarily  be  used,  and  some  patients  using  it  would  get 
well  even  if  quinin  were  not  indicated.  Then  with  the  psycho- 
logic effect  of  the  testimonials,  the  write-ups,  and  good,  strong 
claims  rightly  pushed,  unthinking  physicians  would  do  the  rest. 
And  then,  after  a  while,  when  the  schemer  had  gotten  to  the 
point  where,  each  year,  he  was  making  a  fortune  out  of  his 
preparation,  suppose  some  "self-appointed  chemists"  should 
examine  into  the  preparation  and  discover  that  it  was  nothing 
but  quinin  and  starch,  and  so  announce  to  the  doctors  of  the 
country;  what  would  the  doctors  say?  That  it  makes  little 
difference  "provided  it  is  just  what  he  has  always  found  it 
to  be!" 

This  analogy  is  not  far-fetched,  for  it  is  practically  what  has 
been  done  with  Phenalgin.  One  difference  is  that  since  quinin 


MIWKLLA  \i:»is     NOSTRUMS  271 

costs  as  much  per  ounce  as  acetanilid  does  per  pound,  the 
profits  on  the  acetanilid  mixture  would  be  sixteen  times  greater 
than  that  of  our  imaginary  preparation.  Another  difference  is 
that  acetanilid  is  really  a  dangerous  drug,  unless  used  with 
care,  both  in  its  immediate  and  in  its  remote  effects;  quinin 
is  far  less  so. 

"Little  difference"  indeed,  whether  we  are  being  buncoed  or 
not!  Evidently! 

In  conclusion,  we  charge  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  with 
intentionally  misleading  and  deceiving  the  members  of  the  med- 
ical profession,  in  that  the  said  company  has  in  its  literature 
and  its  advertisements  conveyed  the  impression  (whether 
directly  stated  or  not)  :  First,  that  its  preparation,  Phenalgin, 
is  a  synthetic  compound;  second,  that  Phenalgin  requires 
special  skill  in  its  preparation;  third,  that  Phenalgin  has 
therapeutic  values  which  it  does  not  possess;  and,  fourth,  that 
Phenalgin  is  non-toxic. 

We  also  charge  that  on  account  of  these  and  other  misrepre- 
sentations, this  company  has  inveigled  physicians  into  prescrib- 
ing and  using  a  simple  mechanical  mixture  of  common  well- 
known  cheap  drugs  —  for  which  an  extravagantly  high  price  is 
charged  —  under  the  supposition  that  this  combination  of  cheap 
drugs  is  a  chemical  compound  of  special  and  peculiar  merit  as 
a  therapeutic  agent,  and,  therefore,  worthy  of  their  confidence. 

Our  object  in  again  giving  space  to  this  preparation  —  and 
practically  all  we  have  said  applies  to  the  other  acetanilid 
mixtures  that  are  exploited  under  fictitious  names  or  as  chem- 
ical compounds  (such  as  ammonol,  antikamnia  and  salacetin  or 
sal-codeia  —  Bell)  —  is  to  impress  on  physicians,  by  a  typical 
example,  the  shamefulness  of  the  deceptions  practiced  on  them 
by  nostrum  manufacturers  to  the  great  injury  of  the  public  and 
of  the  medical  profession. 

A  Pharmaceutical  Secret  which  Should  Not  Be  Lost 
Dr.  Gregory  Costigan,  New  York  City,  writes  under  date  of 
January  21,  as  follows: 

"I  have  been  carefully  reading  and  enthusiastically  ap- 
proving your  articles  on  the  nostrum  evil,  and  have  been 
impressed  more  than  usual  on  the  existence  of  quack  ad- 
vertising in  medical  journals  as  set  forth  in  last  paragraph 


and  quotation  on  page  206,  bottom  of  first  column,  of  your 
issue  of  Jan.  20,  1906. 

"In  Merck's  Archives,  page  11,  we  are  told  in  an  adver- 
tisement on  'Phenalgin'  that  it  'is  a  compound  of  peculiar 
character  which  cannot  be  extemporaneously  made  from 
powdered  drug'  and  'our  process  of  manufacturing  tablets 
is  coincident  with  the  manufacture  of  Phenalgin  and  is  the 
result  of  a  long  series  of  careful  experiments  by  which 
we  are  able  to  produce  tablets  of  Phenalgin  in  a  friable 
condition  without  losing  any  of  its  volatile  constituents  or 
undergoing  chemical  changes  from  heat  or  moisture'!  In- 
asmuch as  Phenalgin  tablets  are  not  covered  with  a  water- 


272  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

proof  coating  I  think  this  is  a  remarkable  statement  to 
make,  and  the  manufacturing  of  a  drug  coincident  with 
the  manufacture  of  a  tablet  must  be  a  very  remarkable 
performance,  especially  because  it  'retains  the  full  thera- 
peutic value  of  the  drug  unimpaired'  while  the  advertise- 
ment asserts  that  no  other  manufacturer  is  cognizant  of 
this  wonderful  method.  This  ad.  is  for  the  perusal  of  phy- 
sicians only.  The  Etna  Chemical  Company  owes  it  to 
the  medical  and  pharmaceutical  world  not  to  let  this  secret 
die  with  the  company's  dissolution.  It  owes  it  as  a  duty 
to  the  coming  generations  of  science  immediately  to  jot 
down  the  full  data  of  this  wonderful  performance,  to  put 
it  away  in  an  age-proof  safe  and  not  allow  it  to  be  lost 
to  humanity  as  were  a  great  many  other  arts  that  were 
well  known  to  the  ancients.  Let  them  keep  it  secret  now 
and  profit  by  it,  but  do  not  let  it  be  lost  to  posterity." — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  13,  1906,  and  Jan.  29,  1906.) 

An  Ethical    ( ? )    Proprietary  Exploited  Under  Fraudulent 

and   Lying   Claims 

"Phenalgin  is  a  synthetic  coal-tar  product" — thus  ran  tin- 
advertisements  some  years  ago,  when  the  medical  profession 
was  willing  to  take — or  was  compelled  to  take — the  word  of 
the  manufacturer  of  proprietary  remedies  at  its  face  value. 
Then  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  was  brought 
into  existence.  One  of  the  first  pieces -of  work  done  by  the 
Council  was  the  publication  of  the  results  of  a  number  of 
analyses  of  headache  powders.  Phenalgin  was  among  them. 
Analysis  sho\ved  that  Phenalgin  was  not  a  synthetic  but  a 
simple  mixture  of  the  following  ingredients  in  the  proportions 
given : 

Acetanilid    57  parts 

Sodium  bicarbonate    29  parts 

Ammonium  carbonate 10  parts 

The  Etna  Chemical  Company,  which  puts  out  this  product, 
was  considerably  disturbed  by  the  Council's  exposure.  It 
"came  back"  at  the  American  Medical  Association  with  the 
slogan  "Phenalgin  is  just  what  we  have  always  said  it  to  be." 
What,  up  to  that  time,  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  had 
"always  said''  Phenalgin  to  be,  was: 

1. — Phenalgin  is  a  synthetic. 

2. — Phenalgin  is  the  only  preparation  of  the  kind. 

3. — Phenalgin  is  non-toxic. 

These,  in  brief,  were  the  three  things  that  Phenalgin  had 
been  asserted  to  be.  Each  statement  has  been  proved  to  be  a 
definite  and  unequivocal  falsehood.  Phenalgin  is  not  and  never 
was  a  "synthetic."  Phenalgin  is  not  and  never  was  the  only 
acetanilid  mixture  containing  carbonate  of  ammonia.  Phenal- 
gin is  not  and  never  was  in  any  sense  of  the  word  non- toxic. 
Phenalgin,  in  short,  possesses  the  properties — both  good  and 
bad — that  are  common  to  acetanilid.  It  is  a  mixture  that 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


273 


the  merest  tyro  in  pharmacy  could  dispense  and  for  which 
any  sophomore  medical  student  could  write  a  prescription 
without  stopping  to  think.  Acetanilid  sells  at  8  cents  an 
ounce  wholesale;  Phenalgin  at  $1.00  an  ounce,  wholesale. 


"PHENALGIN  IS  JUST  WHAT  WE  HAVE  ALWAYS 
SAID  IT  TO  BE." 

—  Etna  Chemical  Co.  in  1905. 

"Phenalgin   is   a  synthetic 

coal-tar  product." 
—  Etna  Chem.  Co.  in  1898. 

"Unlike   the   coal-tar   syn- 
thetic,   phenalgin    is    a 
stimulant  rather  than  a 
depressant." 
—  Etna  Chem.  Co.  in  1910. 

TEMP  US                    OMXIA                    BEVELAT! 

All  these  facts  and  many  more  were  given  to  the  profession 
by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  in  THE  JOURNAL 
more  than  six  years  ago — before  even  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act 
came  into  effect.  After  that  law  became  operative,  the  Etna 
Chemical  Company  was  compelled  to  say  something  on  the 
label  that  it  had  never  said  before,  namely,  that  Phenalgin 
contained  50  per  cent,  acetanilid.  But  the  law  not  only 
required  them  to  add  a  fact  to  their  label,  but  it  also  com- 
pelled them  to  remove  a  falsehood.  When  the  pure  food  law 
went  into  effect,  Phenalgin  was  labeled  a  "malaria  germicide." 
It  is  not  a  malaria  germicide  and  never  was  a  malaria  germi- 
cide, and  the  Etna  Chemical  Company  dared  not  risk  taking 
the  question  into  court  so  it  removed  the  statement. 

Unfortunately,  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  exercises  no  control 
over  the  lying  statements  that  may  be  made  for  drugs  else- 
where than  on  the  label.  So  it  is  that  physicians  within  the 
last  two  or  three  weeks  have  received  a  booklet  on  Phenalgin 
containing  the  following  assertions  for  this  acetanilid  mixture : 

"Without  the  slightest  harm,  injury  or  depressing  effect." 

"Is  never  followed  by  depression." 

"Its  prolonged  administration  does  not  give  rise  to  destructive 
blood  metamorphosis." 

"Is  of  great  value  in  the  treatment  of  neuralgia  (especially  in  the 
anemic)." 

"Freedom  from  the  deleterious  action  or  habit-forming  tendencies 
of  the  opiates." 

"It  aids  in  destroying  the  malarial  parasite." 

"Safest  and  most  dependable  of  analgesics  " 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  that  while  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act 
has  forced  a  certain  degree  of  truthfulness  on  the  Phenalgin 
labels,  the  advertising  matter  is  as  fraudulent  and  as  untruth- 
ful as  ever  it  was.  It  is  true  that  the  assertion  that  it  is  a 


274  PROPAGANDA     FVJt     JtEFOJtM 

synthetic  is  no  longer  made,  possibly  because  the  medical  pro- 
fession has  been  so  thoroughly  enlightened  on  the  much-over- 
worked "synthetic"  fraud  that  the  falsehood  is  no  longer 
profitable.  In  other  respects,  the  assertions  are  just  as  false 
as  ever.  It  is  said  to  have  no  depressing  effect — and  yet  it  is 
acetanilid.  It  is  said  to  produce  no  habit — and  yet  it  is 
acetanilid.  It  is  said  to  have  no  injurious  effect  on  the  blood 
— and  yet  it  is  acetanilid.  It  is  said  to  be  the  safest  analgesic 
— and  yet  it  is  acetanilid.  How  long  will  the  medical  profes- 
sion continue  to  be  hoodwinked  by  means  of  such  transparent 
falsehoods  ? 

The  Phenalgin  concern  takes  much  credit  to  itself  because 
on  the  cartons  in  which  the  bottles  of  Phenalgin  come,  it  is 
stated  that  the  product  18  "for  dispensing  purposes  only."  Yet, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  practically  any  layman  can  go  to  any 
drugstore  and  obtain  this  product,  for  the  druggist  appraises 
this  spectacular  piece  of  Pecksniffian  virtue  at  its  face  value— 
a  joke.  Why,  if  intended  only  for  physicians,  would  it  be  nec- 
essary to  include  with  every  bottle  a  circular  naming  the  dis- 
eases, for  which  this  acetanilid  mixture  is  supposed  to  be 
good — "headache,"  "colds,"  "lumbago,"  "scanty  menstrua- 
tion," "pain  in  any  part  of  the  body" — and  why  is  the  name 
of  the  product  and  of  the  firm  making  it,  blown  into  the 
bottle? 

To  sum  up  then,  Phenalgin  is  as  big  a  humbug  as  Peruna 
ever  was.  It  is  sold  to-day  under  claims  that  are  just  as  false 
as  those  used  six  years  ago.  The  Etna  Chemical  Company  is 
perpetrating  a  stupendous  fraud  on  the  medical  profession 
to-day  and  it  is  doing  it  not  only  through  the  agency  of  the 
United  States  mail,  but  with  the  aid  and  support  of  the  fol- 
lowing medical  journals — and  others — in  which  the  Phenalgin 
advertisement  appears: 

Medical  Record  American    .Journal   of   Obstetrics 

New  York  Medical  Journal  Medical  Century 

Pediatrics  Pacific  Medical  Journal 

Lancet-Clinic  Dietetic  and  Hygienic  Gazette 

American  Journal  of  Surgery  Medical  Standard 
International  Journal  of  Surgery     Eclectic  Medical  Journal 

American  Medicine  Am.  Jour,  of  Clinical  Medicine 

It  is  conceivable  that  in  some  cases  it  is  not  easy  for  those 
editors  and  publishers  of  medical  journals  who  insist  on  rely- 
ing on  their  own  judgment,  to  satisfy  themselves  that  certain 
preparations  are  not  worthy  of  being  advertised.  No  such 
difficulty  occurs  in  the  case  of  Phenalgin.  Here  the  issues  arc 
clear  cut.  The  product  is  exploited  under  claims  that  are 
both  false  and  vicious  and  their  falsity  and  viciousness  are 
perfectly  evident  to  any  freshman  medical  student.  The  only 
charitable  explanation  of  the  appearance  of  the  Phenalgin 
advertisements  in  the  medical  journals  listed  is  that  the 
editors  and  publishers  have  not  given  the  subject  the  atten- 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  275 

tion  it  deserves  and  to  which  their  readers  are  entitled. 
Perhaps  it  would  help  if  their  attention  were  called  to  the 
matter  by  their  subscribers. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Jan.  27,  1912.)  

PHENO-BROMATE 

An  analysis  of  this  preparation  made  at  the  instance  of  the 
New  Haven  Medical  Association,  by  its  chemist,  and  sent  by 
Dr.  Charles  J.  Foote  of  New  Haven  to  THE  JOURNAL  is  in  part 
as  follows: 

The  package  was  marked  "Sample  package,  Pheno- 
Bromate.  The  Pheno-Bromate  Company,  New  York,  U.  S.  A." 
The  box  contained  a  number  of  tablets  and  a  package  of 
powders  in  papers  marked,  "Physicians'  10  grain  powders, 
Pheno-Bromate."  The  substance  in  the  papers  was  a  white 
crystalline  powder  not  homogeneous.  It  was  completely 
soluble  in  hot  water.  The  hot  water  solution  on  cooling 
yielded  a  mass  of  thin  crystalline  plates.  This  material 
was  found  to  melt  at  113.5  C.  It  gave  no  color  with  ferric 
chlorid  and  a  positive  isonitril  test.  The  portion  insoluble 
in  ether  amounted  to  49.8  per  cent,  of  the  powder  and  con- 
sisted of  potassium  bromid.  Quantitative  determinations 
of  potassium  and  bromin  in  the  original  solution  con- 
firmed this  result.  In  my  opinion,  the  powder  consists  of 
approximately  equal  quantities  of  acetanilid  and  potassium 
bromid.  Qualitative  tests  of  the  tablets  indicated  that 
they  had  the  same  composition  except  for  a  small  quantity 
of  some  incipient  not  entirely  soluble  in  water.  Yours 
truly,  HEBBEBT  E  SMITH, 

Chemist  New  Haven  Medical  Association. 
Before  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  Pheno-Bromate  was  adver- 
tised as  "a  synthetic  combination  of  the  phenetidin  and  bromid 
groups,  and  not,  as  is  the  case  with  many  analgesics  and  anti- 
pyretics, a  mixture  of  various  coal-tar  derivatives"  and  as  "the 
safest  and  best  of  all  sedatives."  The  dose  recommended  in 
most  cases  is  20  grains  —  equal  to  10  grains  each  of  acetanilid 
and  potassium  bromid.  Since  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  has  gone 
into  effect  its  label  states  that  it  is  "a  perfect  combination  of 
a  phenol  and  bromin  derivative  containing  282  grains  of  acet- 
phenetidin,  U.  S.  P.,  per  ounce."  What  a  boon  it  was  to  men- 
dacious manufacturers  that  the  patent  rights  on  phenacetin 
expired  before  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  went  into  effect. — 
(Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  14,  1906,  and 
April  18,  1908.)  

PHENOLPHTHALEIN 

Phenolphthalein  has  long  been  used  as  an  indicator  in  chem- 
ical reactions,  but  its  use  as  a  therapeutic  agent1  is  com- 

1.  Those  who  wish  to  study  the  action  and  use  of  this  drug 
further  will  find  references  to  article  in  THE  JOURNAL  as  follows : 
THE  JOUKNAL,  Jan.  5,  1907.  pp.  64  and  70 ;  March  30,  1907,  p.  1133 ; 
April  20,  1907,  p.  1351 ;  Nov.  21,  1908,  p.  1782  ;  Nov.  28,  1908,  p. 
1886.  The  first  page  mentioned  discusses  the  introduction  of 
Phenolphthalein  into  medicine. 


276  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

paratively  new.  When  its  laxative  properties  were  first  dis- 
covered it  was  exploited  as  a  proprietary  in  Germany,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  the  enterprising  manufacturers  in  this 
country  saw  in  it  a  potential  gold  mine  and  now  nearly  every 
proprietary  drug  manufacturer  in  this  country  has  coined  a 
proprietary  name  for  it  and  is  exploiting  it,  either  alone  or 
in  combination  with  one  or  more  other  laxatives,  and  with 
more  or  less  unwarranted  claims. 

Phenolphthalein  itself  has  certain  pretty  well  defined  prop- 
erties, but  when  a  little  of  some  other  drug  has  been  added 
wonderful  therapeutic  possibilities  are  claimed  for  the  com- 
bination. The  drug  also  has  a  definite  market  value  and  the 
pure  substance  in  the  form  of  powder,  tablets  or  pills  could 
not  be  sold  at  a  price  greatly  in  excess  of  the  market  value. 
Thus  manufacturers,  from  business  policy,  add  to  it  other 
drugs. 

There  are  now  on  the  market  numerous  more  or  less  secret 
and  "fancy"  preparations  of  phenolphthalein  for  which  a  price 
is  charged  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  value  of  the  prepara- 
tion. Among  these  are:  . 

Phenolphthalein  Laxative   (El  Zernac  Co.). 

Exurgine   ( Bischoff  &  Co. ) . 

Probilin   (Severing  &  Glatz) . 

Prunoids    (Sultan  Drug  Co.). 

Laxine   (Columbus  Pharmacal  Co.). 

Phenolax  Wafers   (Upjohn  Co.). 

Laxaphen  ( Parke,  Davis  &  Co. ) . 

Phenalein   (Pax  Chemical  Co.). 

Thalosen  (Abbott  Alkaloidal  Co.). 

Laxothalen  Tablets  (Pitman-Myers  Co.). 

Veracolate  (Marcy  Co.). 

And  additional  preparations  are  still  coming  out!  Some  of 
the  preparations  contain  only  the  phenolphthalein  with  a 
coined  non-descriptive  proprietary  name  attached,  but  most  of 
them  contain  in  addition  one  or  more  of  such  drugs  as  cascara, 
sulphur,  prune,  senna,  salicylic  acid,  ipecac  and  aromatics. 
The  exploitation  of  phenolphthalein  in  this  way  gives  oppor- 
tunity to  the  manufacturers  to  make  all  sorts  of  strong  claims, 
some  of  them  directly  contradictory,  for  their  preparations. 
For  instance,  Phenolax,  which  is  said  to  contain  phenolphtha- 
lein and  cane  sugar,  is  claimed  to  be  "a  great  success  for  all 
forms  of  constipation,  intestinal  atony  and  hepatic  torpor." 
Of  Laxothalen,  which  is  said  to  contain  phenolphthalein,  aro- 
matics and  sugar,  it  is  stated  that  "its  action  is  confined  to 
the  bowel  and  it  has  practically  no  hepatic  action."  Of  Pru- 
noids, which  is  said  to  contain  phenolphthalein,  cascara, 
de-emetized  ipecac  and  prunes,  we  have  the  old  familiar  state- 
ment that  "the  harmonious  blending  of  the  several  ingredients 
will  give  results  that  cannot  be  obtained  through  their  use 


MISCELLANEOUS     IfOSTBUJUS  277 

separately,  nor  will  their  use  be  followed  by  after-constipa- 
tion." 

At  the  time  phenolphthalein  was  beginning  to  be  exploited 
in  this  country  The  Journal2  suggested  that  physicians  who 
wished  to  try  the  remedy  should  prescribe  it  under  its  own 
name  and  not  under  fancy,  coined  names.  Since  phenolphtha- 
lein occurs  in  the  form  of  an  insoluble  and  tasteless  powder 
there  is  no  reason  why  special  pharmaceutical  preparations 
of  it  should  be  placed  on  the  market.  It  can  be  prescribed  in 
powder  form,  in  pills,  capsules  or  tablets.  Thus  given,  the 
true  therapeutic  action  of  the  drug  would  be  apparent  and  its 
actual  value  arrived  at. 

The  vice  of  this  unscientific  habit  of  prescribing  names 
instead  of  drugs  is  stated  in  a  forcible  way  in  a  letter  received 
from  Dr.  V.  E.  Simpson,  a  teacher  of  materia  medica  and 
therapeutics  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Louisville.  He  says: 

"Recently  P.  D.  &  Co.'s  representative  left  on  my  desk  a 
sample  labeled  'Laxophen.'  The  formula  given  is:  phenol- 
phthalein, gr.  viii;  salicylic  acid,  gr.  3/5,  in  each  fluidounce, 
'incorporated  in  a  palatable  chocolate  base.'  Now,  in  the  first 
place,  this  name  is  one  that  the  public  will  easily  learn  and 
will  soon  call  for;  in  the  second  place,  it  is  not  a  name  that 
carries  with  it  even  a  suggestion  of  its  contents;  and,  finally, 
the  physician  acquires  the  habit  of  mechanically  prescribing 
names  instead  of  drugs,  and  in  the  burdening  of  his  memory 
with  the  myriad  of  fantastic  labelings  he  finds  it  impossible 
to  remember  even  the  drugs  any  one  contains,  much  less  the 
exact  proportions  of  those  drugs.  Then  suppose  that  a  con- 
sultation is  had;  the  consultant  asks  what  is  being  given  and 
the  attendant  answers  that  he  is  giving  'laxophen.'  The  con- 
sultant, perhaps,  has  not  been  sampled  and  inquiries  about  it; 
the  attendant  must  answer,  'Oh,  it  contains  some  phenol- 
phthalein and  a  salicylate,  but  I  have  forgotten  the  exact  pro- 
portions. I  have  the  literature  on  my  desk.  Had  he  used 
U.  S.  P.  and  N.  F.  remedies,  which  the  consultant  and  every 
other  doctor  in  the  land  has  access  to  and  should  have  some 
knowledge  of,  this  embarrassment  would  not  occur.' " 

All  of  the  above  should  remind  the  physician  that  he  should 
write  simple  prescriptions,  for  drugs  whose  action  he  knows, 
adapted  to  the  particular  case  and  not  for  money-making 
combinations  under  fanciful,  non-descriptive  names  exploited 
by  the  proprietary  manufacturers.  In  this  way  he  will  not 
only  save  money  for  himself  and  his  patients,  but  he  will  be 
giving  them  exact  and  effective  treatment,  he  will  know 
exactly  what  he  is  giving  and  learn  for  himself  its  effect,  and 
he  will  be  following  the  only  method  which  entitles  him  to  be 
called  a  scientific  physician. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
April  30,  1910.) 

2.  THE  JOURNAL,  March  30,  1907,  p.  1133. 


278  i'ifor.\(iA\DA    roif    itwnini 

PURGEN 

The  physicians  of  the  United  States  are  receiving  a  neat 
package  containing  samples  of  a  German  proprietary — Pur- 
gen.  The  container  is  an  ingenious  one  and,  besides  the  tab- 
lets, includes  a  circular  in  English,  although  mailed  in  Europe, 
describing  the  remarkable  virtues  of  this  "new  synthetic  aperi- 
ent." It  has  been  considered  strange  that  this  proprietary, 
which  has  been  advertised  so  thoroughly  in  Europe,  Australia, 
etc.,  should  not  have  made  its  appearance  in  this  country. 
Now  it  is  here,  and  it  is  well  that  physicians  should  know 
what  Purgen  is  and  not  be  mystified  and  misled  by  the  litera- 
ture that  they  may  receive  regarding  the  preparation. 

The  following  appeared  in  THE  JOUBXAL,  Jan.  5,  1907,  page 
64,  and  is  reprinted  now  as  being  especially  timely : 

The  report  of  a  case  of  poisoning  by  purgen  (phenolph- 
thalein)  is  the  occasion  for  some  pertinent  observations  by 
Dr.  G.  Brasch  as  to  the  proper  introduction  of  such  rem- 
edies to  the  medical  profession  (Zeitschrift  fur  Medizinal- 
beamte,  Abst.  in  Apotheker-Zeitung,  No.  59,  1906).  He 
agrees  with  Best  that  all  such  remedies  should  first  re- 
ceive a  thorough  trial  in  an  institution  subject  to  state 
supervision,  before  they  are  advertised  to  the  medical 
profession,  so  that  their  harmlessness  in  appropriate  doses 
may  be  ascertained  by  a  method  free  from  liability  to 
error.  The  manner  in  which  the  manufacturers  intro- 
duced Purgen  to  the  profession  and  the  laity  is  to  be 
condemned,  and  probably  led  to  the  symptoms  of  poison- 
ing exhibited  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Best  and  tends  to  dis- 
credit a  remedy  which  is  harmless  and  efficient  if  used  in 
proper  doses.  The  manufacturer  of  such  a  preparation  is 
inclined,  for  obvious  reasons,  to  put  the  dose  of  his  prep- 
aration much  too  high.  The  most  important  point,  how- 
ever, is  the  objectionable  character  of  the  names  given  to 
such  articles.  The  organic  compound  phenolphthalein  has 
been  known  for  a  long  time  and  has  been  widely  used  as 
an  indicator.  Accidentally  it  was  discovered  that  phe- 
nolphthalein possessed  laxative  properties  and  thereon 
it  was  proposed  (1901)  as  a  medicine  under  the  name 
"Purgen."  It  is  sold  in  tablets  containing  0.05,  0.1  and 
0.5  grain  phenolphthalein  mixed  with  sugar  and  flavored 
with  vanilla.  The  author  says:  "But  it  is  very  desirable 
— and  I  regard  this  as  the  most  important  part  of  my 
communication — that  phenolphthalein  should  be  received 
into  the  materia  medica  under  its  own  name.  The  ad- 
dition of  vanilla  and  sugar  is  to  the  highest  degree  super- 
fluous and  the  arbitrary  dosage  in  three  strengths  with 
the  ridiculous  designations,  'baby,'  'for  adults,'  'for  pa- 
tients confined  to  bed,'  are  merely  calculated  to  prejudice 
the  physician  who  is  accustomed  to  individualize  in  his 
prescriptions,  against  a  remedy  which  is  in  itself  an  excel- 
lent one." 

As  explanatory  to  the  last  sentence,  it  should  be  stated  that 
in  Europe  Purgen  is  put  up  in  three  dosage  forms,  "infant 
Purgen  for  children,"  containing  %  of  a  grain;  "adult  Purgen 


279 

for  chronic  constipation,"  containing  1%  grains,  and  "strong 
Purgen  for  invalids,"  containing  ll/z  grains.  The  form  in 
which  it  is  being  sampled  in  this  country  is  in  the  medium 
dose,  1%  grains. 

Physicians  should  remember  that  the  promoters  of  Purgen 
are  simply  introducing  a  chemical  well  known  to  laboratory 
workers  for  the  last  twenty  years,  which  has  been  recognized 
as  an  aperient  for  at  least  seven  years,  and  which  can  be 
purchased  for  40  cents  an  ounce,  whereas  an  ounce  of  phenol- 
phthalein  in  the  form  of  Purgen  will  cost  $3.20  wholesale.  The 
enthusiastic  praise  of  the  remedy,  found  in  the  advertising 
circulars,  should  be  subjected  to  critical  judgment  on  account 
of  its  source  and  motives. 

It  is  unodubtedly  true,  however,  as  we  have  previously 
stated,  that  phenolphthalein  is  worthy  of  a  trial.  In  the  Brit- 
ish Medical  Journal,  Oct.  18,  1902,  F.  W.  Tunnicliffe  speaks 
of  the  virtues  of  phenolphthalein,  and  the  conclusions  reached 
by  him  were  that  it  is  a  useful  aperient,  \vithout  irritating 
action  on  the  kidneys,  and  is  especially  valuable  in  jaundice, 
its  depressing  action  on  the  circulation  being  less  than  sul- 
phate of  magnesia. 

Phenolphthalein  is  not  in  the  Pharmacopeia,  but  has  been 
included  in  "Xe\v  and  Nonofficial  Remedies"  by  the  Council 
on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  From  this  we  quote: 

Actions  and  Uses. — Phenolphthalein  acts  as  a  purgative,  but 
appears  to  possess  no  further  physiologic  action.  A  case  of 
poisoning  from  taking  1  gm.  (15  grains)  is  reported. 

Dosage. — For  adults  the  average  dose  is  0.1  to  0.2  gm.  (1.5 
to  3  grains)  given  as  powder,  in  cachets,  capsules  or  pills.  It 
may  be  given  with  safety  in  doses  of  0.5  gm.  (8  grains),  and 
these  doses  seem  to  be  necessary  to  secure  its  effects  in  bed- 
ridden patients  or  in  obstinate  cases. 

We  have  gone  into  this  matter  again  so  that  our  readers 
may  have  some  knowledge  of  this  remedy,  and  we  hope  that 
if  they  conclude  to  try  it  they  will  use  the  chemical  itself  and 
under  its  own  name. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Sept.  14, 
1007.J 


"THIS  PHYLACOGEN  BUSINESS" 

.We  reproduce  below  an  advertisement  that  Parke,  Davis  & 
Co.  are  publishing  in  the  drug  journals  of  the  country.  We 
do  this  free  of  charge.  Read  it  carefully.  It  may  help  you 
to  realize  how  our  profession — and  through  it  the  public — 
is  being  exploited  by  some  pharmaceutical  houses.  In  the 
editorial  department,  this  week,  something  is  said  about  "this 
Phylacogen  business" — and,  by  the  way,  "business"  is  a  most 
appropriate  word  to  use  in  this  connection.  Parke,  Davis  & 
Co.  have  taken  a  dangerous  and  unproved  agent — one  that  has 
not  passed  the  test  of  scientific  investigation— and  are  putting 


280  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

it  on  the  market  apparently  with  but  one  object  in  view,  that 
of   forcing   it   on    the    profession.      Every    medical   journal   of 


Don't  you  want  some  of  this 
Phylacogen  business? 


Here  is  the  most  important  announcement  that  we  have 
made  to  druggists  in  many  months: 

We  are  on  the  eve  of  a  great  promotion  campaign  on  behalf 
of  the  Phylacogens — a  campaign  that  will  be  continent-wide. 

We  shall  publish  a  series  of  pointed,  striking  Phylacogen 
advertisements  in  a  hundred  medical  journals. 

To  every  physician  on  our  American  mailing  list  we  shall 
send  attractive,  convincing  Phylacogen  literature. 

Through  our  army  of  detail  representatives  we  shall  carry 
personal  Phylacogen  messages  to  the  entire  medical  profession. 

We  shall  use  every  legitimate  means  at  our  command  to  make 
known  to  physicians  the  remarkable  efficacy  of  the  Phylacogens. 

This  means  orders  from  the  doctors.  It  means  a  lot  of  good 
business  for  druggists.  Don't  you  want  to  share  in  the  profits? 

Five  Phylacogens  are  now  offered: 

Rheumatism  Phylacogen 
Gonorrhea  Phylacogen 
Erysipelas  Phylacogen 
Pneumonia  Phylacogen 
Nixed  Infection  Phylacogen 

Marketed  in  vials  of  10  Cc.  capacity,  10  vials  in  a  package. 
LET  US  HAVE  YOUR  ORDERS 

HomeDe?r"laMicLht°natories'     Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 


"This  Phylacogen  Business."  This  is  a  reduced  facsimile  01  n 
full-page  advertisement  appearing  in  drug  journals.  In  the  medical 
journals  advertisements  are  appearing  that  claim  "90  per  cent,  or 
recoveries"  in  "over  4,000  cases  of  infection  that  have  been  treated 
with  Phylacogens." 

importance  that  accepts  this  kind  of  advertising  is  getting  some 
of  "this  Phylacogen  business;"  every  pharmaceutical  journal, 


NOSTRUMS  281 

also,  is  getting  some  of  "this  Phylacogen  business;"  every 
uncritical  physician  who  is  willing  to  gamble  with  his  patients' 
health  is  getting  some  of  "this  Phylacogen  business."  And  the 
public?  Well,  the  public  doesn't  matter.  Hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars'  worth  of  Phylacogen  will  be  sold;  thousands 
of  testimonials  will  flow  in  from  unthinking  physicians; 
the  administration  of  Phylacogen  will  become  a  fad — all  to  the 
great  financial  benefit  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  Then,  like  most 
proprietary  rockets  that  describe  a  blazing  parabola  across 
the  therapeutic  heavens,  it  will  come  down,  the  inevitable 
stick.  The  public  will  forget  it;  the  medical  profession  will 
discard  it — and  the  corporation  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  will, 
figuratively  speaking,  unctuously  rub  its  hands  and  murmur: 
Good  business  while  it  lasted!— ("From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Feb.  1,  1913.) 

Phylacogens — A  Warning  and  a  Protest 

As  the  manufacturers  of  the  so-called  Phylacogens  appeal- 
determined  to  spare  no  effort  to  stampede  physicians  into  mak- 
ing free  and  confident  use  of  these  peculiar  products  in  the 
treatment  of  all  kinds  of  infections,  the  occasion  is  an  appro- 
priate one  for  the  brief  discussion  of  some  questions  in  regard 
to  Phylacogens  and  the  Phylacogen  propaganda  that  should 
receive  careful  consideration. 

It  is  stated  in  the  Phylacogen  literature  that  the  Phylaco- 
gens are  neither  bacterial  vaccines  nor  serums  as  ordinarily 
understood,  but  sterile  aqueous  solutions  of  metabolic  sub- 
stances or  derivatives  of  bacteria  grown  on  artificial  mediums. 
In  view  of  the  variability  in  the  growth  and  activity  of  differ- 
ent strains  of  the  same  bacterium,  and  of  the  same  strain  at 
different  times,  constant  and  accurate  dosage  is  not  possible. 
This  is  an  important  consideration  because  the  Phylacogens 
are  primarily  toxic,  sometimes  sufficiently  so  to  produce  even 
highly  alarming  reactions.  In  their  circular  concerning  the 
Pneumonia  Phylacogen,  Parke,  Davis  and  Company  make  the 
following  statement  (page  15)  :  "A  patient  will  never  seri- 
ously object  to  the  pain  of  the  local  reaction  following  subcu- 
taneous administration,  nor  to  the  chill  and  other  symptoms 
following  the  intravenous  injection  if  he  has  been  properly 
prepared  for  the  results  that  are  expected  to  follow  the  injec- 
tions. Haying  consented  to  the  treatment,  the  patient  should 
never  be  informed  as  to  the  reaction  until  the  remedy  actually 
has  been  administered;  he  should  then  be  told  what  to  expect, 
an  intelligent  explanation  should  be  made  and  his  logical 
sense  appealed  to  by  showing  him  that  the  local  reaction,  the 
chill,  etc.,  produce  but  temporary  discomfort  and  should  be 
entirely  disregarded  in  view  of  the  end  to  be  attained — the 
cure  of  the  patient's  disability."  (The  italics  are  in  the  cir- 
cular.) This  is  a  peculiar  "preparation"  of  the  patient,  to  say 
the  least,  but  the  statement  is  quoted  here  primarily  to  empha- 


282  PROPAGANDA     l-'OJi     h'EFOh'M 

size  that  the  Phylacogens  have  serious  toxic  possibilities  that 
cannot  be  accurately  estimated  beforehand.  This  being  the 
case,  there  is  no  escape  from  the  further  possibility  that  such 
toxic  effects  at  times  may  turn  the  scales  against  the  patient, 
who,  if  the  victim  of  pneumonia  or  other  acute  infection, 
already  is  struggling  against  a  full  measure  of  bacterial  intox- 
ication. The  manufacturer,  however,  has  no  scruples  on  this 
account  except  that  the  patient  should  never  be  informed  as 
to  the  reaction  which  will  follow  the  administration  of  the 
Phylacogen  until  the  remedy  actually  has  been  administered. 

If  we  ask  ourselves  the  question  what  evidence  there  is  to 
show  that  the  Phylacogens  actually  have  the  remarkable  ther- 
apeutic virtues  ascribed  to  them  by  their  manufacturer,  we 
find  that  there  are  no  experimental  observations  whatsoever 
bearing  on  the  question.  Apparently  no  one  has  made  any 
experiments  on  animals  to  learn  whether  these  identical  mix- 
tures can  prevent  infections  or  influence  experimentally  pro- 
duced infections.  The  claims  rest  solely  on  the  results  of  clini- 
cal observations  and  when  the  records  of  such  observations  are 
examined  we  find  that  no  definite  conclusions  are  permissible 
'because  the  observations  lack  reliable  and  adequate  control. 
Thorough  studies  have  not  been  made  according  to  the  statis- 
tical method  whereby  unbiased  deductions  "are  drawn  from 
comparable  series  of  cases  treated  in  different  ways.  Physi- 
cians need  not  be  told  that  the  diseases  under  consideration 
are  in  large  measure  spontaneously  curable  diseases,  at  least 
so  far  as  the  acute  diseases  are  concerned,  and  that  all  the 
chronic  processes  in  question  are  subject  to  spontaneous  varia- 
tions in  their  manifestations,  to  remissions  and  intermissions. 

In  judging  the  effects  of  special  methods  of  treatment  of 
such  diseases  the  physician  must  ever  be  on  guard  against  the 
antique  post  hoc  ergo  propter  hoc  blunder,  the  overworked  ser- 
vant of  the  enterprising  manufacturer  and  eager  promoter  of 
therapeutic  fads.  The  circumstance  that  the  manufacturer 
has  been  able  to  accumulate  from  different  parts  of  the  coun- 
try under  diverse  conditions  records  of  cases  of  pneumonia, 
for  instance,  treated  with  Phylacogen  which  after  pruning  at 
his  hands  yield  a  low  death-rate,  is  of  no  significance  whatever 
because  there  is  no  proper  standard  for  comparison. 

Much  more  might  be  said  about  the  Phylacogens;  they 
may  come  up  for  discussion  again.  Let  *us  not  forget,  in  any 
event,  that  they  have  toxic  properties  and  that  the  claims 
for  their  therapeutic  powers  are  much  more  extensive  than  the 
facts  which  are  at  present  available  would  warrant. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  1,  1913.) 

Risk  of  Malpractice  Suits  from  Use  of  Phylacogens 
To  the  Editor: — In  view  of  the  fact  that  TIIK  JOURNAL  has 
seen  fit  to  give  timely  and  well-warranted  warning    (Feb.   1, 
MM 2.  p.  373)    against  the  use  of  Phylacogens,  it  would  seem 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  283 

that  it  might  be  proper  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  mal- 
practice suits  may  result  from  the  use  of  these  products. 
Since  the  manufacturers  advise  against  informing  the  patient 
of  the  "reaction"  that  may  take  place  until  the  "remedy"  has 
actually  been  administered,  and  until  that  time  defer  the 
"intelligent  explanation"  which  should  be  forthcoming,  one 
might  pertinently  ask  how  we  are  to  make  this  explanation, 
being  in  the  dark  as  to  the  nature  of  the  "remedy"  that  we 
are  using. 

Careful  perusal  of  the  laws  governing  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine will  soon  convince  the  careful  physician  that  if  he  uses 
such  a  "remedy"  as  Phylacogen  he  will  do  so  at  his  own  peril 
and  risk.  This  so-called  remedy  is  nothing  more  than  a  secret 
proprietary,  manufactured  and  controlled  by  a  firm  of  manu- 
facturing druggists,  and  its  use  in  such  a  plainly  serious 
disease  as  pneumonia  or  rheumatism,  with  their  most  frequent 
cardiac  complications,  has  the  possibility  of  results  that  may 
have  serious  consequences  for  the  physician.  It  might  be  well 
for  the  physician  who  cares  to  run  this  risk  to  obtain  a  signed 
agreement  from  Parke.  Davis  &  Co.  that  in  event  of  his  being 
sued  for  malpractice  the  firm  will  not  only  bear  the  expense 
of  defending  the  suit  but  will  also  pay  damages  in  case  these 
are  awarded.  THE  JOURNAL'S  editorial,  mentioned  above, 
should  be  carefully  read  and  well  digested. — 

FRANK  H.  JACKSON,  M.D.,  Houlton,  Maine. 
(From   The  Journal  A.   £/.  A.,  Feb.  8,  1913.) 

Phylacogens  Again 

Our  practical  knowledge  of  immunity  in  infectious  diseases 
and  of  the  methods  of  prophylaxis  and  cure  has  advanced 
greatly  during  the  past  ten  years.  The  results  of  the  prophy- 
lactic immunization  against  typhoid  and  of  the  treatment  of 
certain  cases  of  furunculosis  are  familiar  examples  of  what 
may  be  accomplished  by  active  immunization  with  prepara- 
tions of  bacteria  commonly  known  as  vaccines.  Definite  and 
favorable  results  have  been  obtained  by  the  use  of  vaccines 
prepared  from  the  organisms  concerned  in  various  other  acute 
and  chronic  infections.  The  results  from  the  use  of  vaccines 
have  appealed  to  physicians  generally,  and  the  use  of  vaccines 
in  many  infections  has  become  more  and  more  widespread. 
Vaccines  for  these  inoculations  are  supplied  by  the  biologic 
departments  of  drug  houses,  and  the  preparation  and  sale  of 
these  products  have  come  to  occupy  a  prominent  and  in  all 
probability  a  remunerative  department,  if  we  may  judge  by 
the  space  devoted  to  their  advertising. 

The  thinking  physician  knows,  however,  that  the  treatment 
of  infection  with  vaccines  requires  careful  attention  and 
thought,  together  with  a  study  of  the  clinical  and  pathologic 
conditions  of  the  individual  case,  and  that  unless  this  require- 
ment is  met.  more  failures  than  successes  follow.  We  do  not 


284  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

enter  here  into  a  discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  stock  and 
autogenous  vaccines,  or  into  the  question  as  to  what  combina- 
tion of  mixed  vaccines  may  be  desirable.  We  assume  that  the 
civerage  physician  is  doing  his  best  with  products  supplied  by 
the  laboratories  and  that  he  has  not  the  facilities  for  the 
preparation  of  autogenous  vaccines.  Under  these  conditions 
the  problem  of  obtaining  results  is  difficult  enough,  and  the 
physician  does  not  have  to  go  far  before  he  finds  that  even 
with  the  most  painstaking  work  he  is  often  unable  to  accom- 
plish the  cure  of  the  infection  in  question,  the  consequence 
being  that  at  present  vaccines  are  discredited  by  many  physi- 
cians. 

And  now  the  physician  is  asked  practically  to  disregard  the 
little  knowledge  he  already  has  of  the  mechanism  of  infection 
and  inject  into  his  patients  a  mixture  of  toxic  bacterial  deriva- 
tives, called  Phylacogens,  and  see  what  will  happen.  Some- 
thing usually  does  happen,  and  the  patient  has  good  reason  to 
remember  the  experience  of  the  chill  and  violent  constitutional 
symptoms  that  follow  the  injection.  It  hardly  seems  possible 
that  physicians  of  experience  ever  would  countenance  the  injec- 
tion of  such  toxic  substances  into  patients  already  over- 
whelmed with  the  poisons  of  infection,  such  as  that  by  the 
streptococcus  in  erysipelas  or  the  pneumococcus  in  pneumonia. 

To  complete  the  list  of  Phylacogens  so  that  the  busy  prac- 
titioner need  not  waste  his  time  in  thought,  provided  he  is 
unable  to  determine  on  clirical  grounds  the  nature  of  the 
illness  in  his  patient,  he  ij  provided  with  Mixed  Infection 
Phylacogen,  a  preparation  which  has  the  merit  of  covering  the 
ground,  but  only  so  far  as  name  is  concerned.  We  are  inclined 
to  look  with  pity  on  the  polypharmacy  of  earlier  centuries  in 
medicine,  and  yet  in  this  day  of  research  into  the  specific 
causes  of  infection  and  of  specific  treatment  we  are  asked  to 
introduce  into  patients  suffering  from  a  known  infection  a  mix- 
ture of  many  toxic  substances,  the  action  of  no  one  of  which 
is  understood.  This  is  an  utterly  irrational  procedure,  with- 
out any  semblance  of  adequate  experimental  and  theoretical 
basis,  and  in  the  end  it  will  work  great  harm  to  the  cause  of 
legitimate  and  rational  vaccine  therapy,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
harm  inflicted  on  the  innocent  patient. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  15,  1913.) 

The  Phylacogens — A  Menace  to  Vaccine  Therapy 
In  two,  three  or  four  years — according  to  the  amount  of 
money  that  the  exploiters  are  willing  to  spend  in  advertising 
the  shotgun  mixtures  sold  under  the  proprietary  name  Phyla- 
cogens— these  products  will  have  been  relegated  to  that  drear 
limbo  of  therapeutic  shadows  whose  substance  was  born  of 
men's  thoughtlessness,  or  worse,  cupidity.  The  existence  of  the 
Phylacogens,  commercially  speaking,  is  due  to  the  vast 
resources  of  the  corporation  lhat  fathers  them.  The  time  will 


MISCELLANEOUS     \OH'i'ltUM8  '2S5 

i-oine,  as  it  comes  with  all  therapeutic  agents  whose  value 
rests  on  no  more  substantial  basis,  when  the  combined  experi- 
ence of  an  exploited  profession  will  overcome  the  counterforce 
of  lavish  and  prodigal  advertising.  Then  the  Phylacogens  will 
cease  to  interest  any  but  the  historian.  Possibly  that  time 
may  come  sooner  than  we  expect,  for  the  physician  of  to-day 
is  not  so  easily  misled  as  the  physician  of  yesterday  and,  more 
important  yet,  the  public  of  to-day  is  more  critical  than  the 
public  of  a  decade  ago.  But  whether  it  takes  four  years  or 
one  year  for  this  therapeutic  rocket  to  flare  itself  out,  the 
tragedy  lies  not  in  the  widely  heralded  reputed  successes,  but 
in  the  many  -unreported  failures,  perhaps  deaths,  following  the 
use  of  experimental  novelties.  Bacterial  derivatives,  like  the 
Phylacogens,  are  poisons,  powerful,  dangerous  and  little  under- 
stood. Yet  physicians  are  asked  to  use  them  on  evidence  sub- 
mitted wholly  by  those  who  will  benefit  financially  from  their 
employment.  Human  nature  being  the  same  in  the  medical 
profession  as  elsewhere,  the  untoward  effects  will  seldom  or 
never  be  reported;  the  deaths  which  follow  their  administra- 
tion will  be  ascribed,  unconsciously  perhaps,  to  "unforeseen 
complications."  More  than  this,  the  confidence  of  the  public 
in  serotherapy — a  therapy  which,  scientifically  applied,  holds 
greater  hope  for  the  treatment  of  human  ills  than  any  other 
yet  discovered — will  be  rudely  shaken  by  this  rash  use  of  dan- 
gerous and  unproved  products.  How  much  of  a  setback  scien- 
tific medicine  will  receive  from  the  orgy  of  advertising  in 
which  the  exploiters  of  the  Phylacogens  are  at  present  indulg- 
ing can  only  be  surmised.  Ten  years  from  now,  when  the 
Phylacogen  craze  is  recalled  to  their  memories,  thousands  of 
our  readers  will  blush  with  shame  for  the  profession  which 
tolerated  it.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  22,  1913.) 


PIX  CRESOL 

W.  A.  Puckner  and  W.  S.  Hilpert 

In  a  paper  on  "The  Abuse  of  Chemical  Formulas"1  several 
examples  were  given  of  the  various  methods  employed  by 
"patent  medicine"  concerns  to  give  standing  to  their  products 
by  assigning  to  them  a  chemical  formula.  In  some  cases  the 
formulas  given  are  impossible,  in  other  cases  they  may  repre- 
sent the  chemical  composition  of  only  one  constituent  or  it 
may  be  an  attempt  at  both.  To  a  chemist  such  formulas  are 
absurd  and  on  seeing  a  formula  which  he  knows  to  be  wrong 
lie  naturally  thinks  "Fake,"  "Ignorance,"  or  both.  Just  such 
a  formula  (C5H6N.SO)  applied  to  a  product  called  Pix  Cresol, 
manufactured  by  the  "Pix  Cresol  Chemical  Co.,  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  attracted  our  attention.  No  mention  of  such  a  formula 
can  be  found  in  such  works  as  Richter's  most  complete  Index 

1.  Puekner,  W.  A. :     Report  of  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the 

American    Medical   Association,    iii,    7. 


286  PROrAdAXDA     FOR     HEFOh'M 

of  Carbon  Compounds,  nor  the  three  supplemental  volumes 
published,  1901-1905,  by  the  German  Chemical  Society  and 
Beilstein's  Organic  Chemistry  (3rd  Edit.).  This  fact,  supple- 
mented by  inquiries  from  correspondents  as  to  the  composi- 
tion of  the  substance  made  it  seem  worth  while  to  make  a 
chemical  examination  of  it. 

The  examination  was  made  and  showed  that  the  essential 
constituent  was  oxyquinolin  sulphate.  As  potassium  sulphate 
was  also  found  it  was  concluded  that  Pix  Cresol  was  a  prepa- 
ration containing  a  mixture  of  oxyquinolin  sulphate  and  potas- 
sium sulphate,  which  has  also  been  known  in  the  past  under 
the  proprietary  name,  "Chinosol."  At  this  time  a  letter  was 
referred  to  the  laboratory  containing  the  report  of  an  analysis 
of  Pix  Cresol,  which  showed  the  presence  of  oxyquinolin  sul- 
phate but  no  potassium  sulphate.  As  this  indicated  that  Pix 
Cresol  contained  as  its  essential  constituent  the  substance  now 
sold  as  Chinosol,  the  laboratory  purchased  a  new  specimen  of 
Pix  Cresol  from  the  Chicago  representative  of  the  Pix  Cresol 
Co.  The  examination3  of  this  specimen  showed  that  it  con- 
sisted of  approximately  21  per  cent,  oxyquinolin  sulphate. 
about  8.3  per  cent,  potassium  sulphate  and  the  remainder 
almost  entirely  milk  sugar. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  both  the  specimen  of  Pix  Cresol 
obtained  directly  from  the  manufacturers  and  also  the  one 
purchased  more  recently  from  the  Chicago  agent,  contain  as 
an  essential  constituent  Chinosol  of  the  composition  sold  for- 
merly. The  substance  now  sold  under  the  name  Chinosol  and 
described  in  New  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  is  pure  oxyquinolin 
sulphate,  and  as  the  exploiters  of  Pix  Cresol  probably  obtain 
their  supply  of  oxyquinolin  sulphate  from  the  Chinosol  Com- 
pany, the  sole  American  agents  for  Chinosol,  it  is  to  be 
expected  that  Pix  Cresol  should  change  in  composition.  It  is 
probable  that  the  analysis  referred  to  the  laboratory  deals 
with  a  more  recent  specimen  than  the  two  examined  in  the 
Association  laboratory. 

EDITORIAL,  NOTE:  In  view  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry's  findings,  viz.,  that  chinosol  is  a  powerful  anti- 
septic but  a  feeble  germicide  and  considering  that  Pix  Cresol 
contains  but  21  per  cent,  oxyquinolin  sulphate,  the  absurdity 
of  the  following  claims  made  for  Pix  Cresol  require  no  further 
comment : 

"Pix  Cresol  is  an  Absolutely  Sure  and  Yet  Perfectly  Safe,  Never 
Failing  Destroyer  of  Pus  (StapJi.  1'i/or/ens  Aure.us.)" 

"It  is  germicidal,  bactericidal,  bacillicidal.  It  is  certain  as  a 
micro-organism  destroyer.  It  destroys  absolutely." 

"Ridding  the  blood  of  germs,  it  aids  in  rendering  it  replete  with 
oxygen — ." 

"It  kills  the  germs." 

"No  organism  that  is  causative  of  morbid  processes  can  with 
stand  it." 

"It  destroys  micro-organisms  of  all  kinds.  It  destroys  them 
absolutely. 

2.  The  analytical  details  will  be  published  in  the  annual  report 
of  the  laboratory. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  287 

"The  ETUI'S  tenacity  of  life  does  not  avail  ag-aiust  its  action  as 
germicide." 

"It  destroys  the  spores  and  toxins  utterly." 

A  further  estimate  of  the  pseudo-c-hemical  company,  bearing 
the  name  of  this  "strongest,  safest,  least  expensive  medical 
antiseptic,  disinfectant  and  deodorizer  known"  may  be  gained 
by  a  cursory  glance  at  some  of  its  "specialties": 

"Maizinin  compound,  Positive  Chill  and  Malaria  Specific" 
the  firm  says,  "prepares  the  parasites  for  execution  by  the 
leukocytes."  It  is  said  to  contain  arsenic,  while  the  name 
implies  the  presence  of  some  plant  drug. 

"Psora,  the  Syphilis  Specific,"  is  a  shot-gun  mixture  said  to 
be  "the  scientific  combination  of  the  soluble  Triple  lodids 
with  the  active  principles  of  Echinacea,  Cascara  amagra,  Ber- 
beris  aquif.,  and  Phytolacca  rad.,"  and  is  claimed  to  make  "the 
syphilitic  lesions  disappear  and  fail  to  return." 

"Rectoids — Cones  for  the  treatment  of  all  rectal  trouble," 
are  said  to  be  "a  combination  of  Rectin  (Pix)  compounded 
from  Buckeye,  Collinsonia,  Hammamelis,  Belladona,  Pix 
Cresol." 

"Tablets  for  the  Female — Pix  Cresol  Uterettes,"  it  is  said, 
"for  sanitary  purposes  may  be  continued  forever  ..." 

When  one  realizes  that  this  sort  of  pseudo-scientific  twaddle 
is  accepted  by  many  physicians  at  its  face  value,  the  outlook 
for  therapeutics  seems  dark,  indeed.  So  long  as  the  existence 
of  such  concerns  is  tolerated  by  the  medical  profession,  so 
long  will  there  be  a  crying  need  for  a  "Propaganda  for  Reform 
in  Proprietary  Medicines." — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
•June  10,  1911.) 

THE    DANGER    IN    PROTONUCLEIN,    A    PREPARATION 
CONTAINING   THYROID 

Protonuclein  was  the  subject  of  a  little  article  in  our  Queries 
and  Minor  Notes  Department,  Nov.  16,  1912,  page  1812.  Dr. 
Reid  Hunt,  Washington,  D.  C.,  writes: 

"To  the  Editor: — I  have  been  requested  by  a  .physician  to  call 
your  attention  to  certain  statements  which  might  well  have 
been  added  to  your  reply  to  J.  A.  C.  in  regard  to  Protonuclein. 
Dr.  Seidell  and  I  examined  several  samples  of  Protonuclein 
some  time  ago1  and  by  chemical  and  physiologic  tests 
found  that  they  contained  the  equivalent  of  10  per  cent, 
thyroid  of  0.1  per  cent,  iodin  strength  (the  actual  amount  of 
thyroid  may  have  been  greater  or  less  for  we  did  not  know  the 
percentage  of  iodin  in  the  thyroid  used).  The  dose  recom- 
mended on  the  bottle  was  6  to  12  grains  every  three  or  four 
hours;  this  represents  from  0.6  to  1.2  grains  of  some  of  the 
commercial  thyroid  powders,  and  is  sufficient  to  cause  pro-. 

1.  Hunt.  Reid,  and  Seidell,  Atherton  :  Commercial  Thyroid  Prep- 
arations and  Suggestions  as  to  the  Standardization  of  Thyroid,  THE 
.1.. i  I:\AL  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  24,  1908,  p.  1385. 


2S8 


l>ROr.l<;\\l>\      I'Oli     ItKFOHM 


nounced  thyroid  effects  in  many  conditions.  Protonuclein  was 
advertised  as  a  'perfectly  harmless  antitoxin,  tissue-builder,' 
etc.,  although  the  dose  of  thyroid  did  not  differ  materially 
from  that  in  'Rengo'  and  'Marmola,'  two  anti-fat  nostrums 
which  we  examined  at  the  same  time.  We  called  attention  to 
the  danger  of  using  thyroid,  the  most  powerful  tissue-destroy- 
ing drug  known,  in  cases  of  typhoid,  phthisis,  etc.,  for  which 
protonuclein  was  recommended,  though  these  are  conditions  in 
which  the  physician  is  supposed  to  be  exerting  every  effort  to 
build  up  the  tissues. 

"You  also  speak  of  the  'high'  nuclein  content  (0.28  per 
cent,  phosphorus)  :  the  largest  recommended  dose  would  con- 
tain only  about  Va  grain  of  nucleic  acid — an  amount  which 
would  probably  have  not  the  slightest  effect,  especially  when 
given  by  the  mouth. 

"A  sample  of  'Protonuclein  Special'  was  found  to  have  twice 
as  much  thyroid  as  the  ordinary  Protonuclein;  this  also  was 
stated  to  be  'perfectly  harmless.'" — (From  The  Jour/ml 
A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  1,  1913.) 


RESINOL 

The  Philadelphia  branch  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  issued  a  pamphlet  some  two  years  ago  in  which 
the  following  appeared  relative  to  Resinol  and  similar  products : 
"Within  recent  years  there  have  been  introduced  a  number 
of  compound  ointments  that  in  their  supposed  range  of 
therapeutic  usefulness  are  scarcely  equalled  and  certainly  not 
excelled  by  the  magic  unguents 
of  the  quacks  and  charlatans  of 
continental  Europe,  who,  several 
centuries  ago,  essayed  to  cure  all 
manner  of  disease  by  inunction 
or  the  simple  application  of  com- 
pound ointments  of  secret  com- 
position. 

"As  typical  of  this  modern  class 
of  panaceas  we  may  mention 
Resinol.  This  preparation  is  being 
widely  advertised  at  the  present 
time  in  the  daily  papers  as  a  val- 
uable adjunct  to  Resinol  Soap  in 
the  treatment  of  all  kinds  and 
varieties  of  diseases  of  the  skin. 
The  makers  of  this  particular 
mixture,  in  the  form  of  an  oint- 
_  ment,  modestly  assert  that  it  will 

cure  all  skin  diseases,  and  is  also  'A  Specific  for  Pruritis  Ani, 
Itching  Piles,  and  Pruritis  Vulvse.' " — (From  The  Journal 
A.  J>L  A.,  Nov.  6,  1909.) 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  28!) 

RHEUMATICIDE 

Inquiries  liave  been  received  regarding  the  so-called  Wallace 
treatment  for  rheumatism  marketed  by  the  Rheumaticide  Com- 
pany, New  York  City.  It  is  advertised  in  the  newspapers,  and 
those  who  write  for  information  are  sent  a  booklet  entitled 
"Rheumatism  Cured"  together  with  a  circular  containing  testi- 
monials. The  Rheumaticide  Company  is  said  to  have  for  its 
president  one  George  E.  Burroughs,  while  Dr.  Thomas  A.  Wal- 
lace is  referred  to  in  the  company's  advertising  matter  as  its 
"consultant,"  and  a  Dr.  James  C.  von  Spiegel,  it  is  claimed, 
administers  the  nostrum  in  New  York  City. 

Some  of  the  claims  made  for  this  nostrum  are : 

"It  is  the  only  treatment  that  cures." 

"Gout,  Lumbago,  and  Sciatica  promptly  and  permanently  cured 
by  our  treatment." 

"The  only  bona-flde  cure  for  rheumatism." 

"No  treatment  can  permanently  arrest  and  cure  Rheumatoid 
Arthritis,  Arthritis  Deformans  or  chronic  Gouty  Arthritis,  except 
our  treatment." 

"The  Wallace  Treatment  neutralizes  the  toxins  and  kills  the 
germs,  thus  effecting  a  permanent  euro." 

"The  Wallace  Treatment    ...     is  absolutely  up-to-date." 

"No  specific  treatment  for  rheumatism,  worthy  of  the  name,  had 
ever  existed  until  the  introduction  of  our  remedy." 

Many  other  statements  equally  false  appear  in  the  Rheu- 
maticide booklet.  The  booklet  of  testimonials  carefully  avoids 
giving  the  name  and  address  of  the  individuals  supposed  to 
have  been  cured. 

Contrary  to  the  common  run  of  "patent  medicines,"  Rheu- 
maticide is  for  hypodermic  use  and  is  supposed  to  be  adminis- 
tered by  a  physician.  The  stuff  comes  in  sealed  tubes,  each 
tube  containing  enough  of  the  preparation  for  one  "treatment" 
and  costing  $2.50.  The  Association's  chemists  examined 
Rheumaticide  and  reported  as  follows: 

A  sealed  tube  containing  a  preparation  called  Rheumaticide 
was  received.  The  tube  contained  about  1  gm.  (15  grains)  of 
a  dark  brownish-red,  viscid  liquid,  which  had  an  odor  like 
iodin  and  somewhat  like  phenol  (carbolic  acid).  The  quantity 
of  material  was  so  small  as  to  preclude  anything  more  than  a 
cursory  examination,  but  a  titration  with  tenth-normal  sodium 
thiosulphate  indicated  the  presence  of  about  9  per  cent,  of 
free  iodin;  a  determination  of  the  total  iodin  indicated  the 
presence  of  about  40  per  cent.  From  this  it  was  concluded  that 
the  essential  constituents  of  Rheumaticide  are  uncombined 
iodin  and  iodin-phenol  with  traces  of  hydriodic  acid.  A  prepa- 
ration obtained  by  mixing  the  following  was  found,  after 
standing  twenty -four  hours,  to  have  properties  quite  similar  to 
those  of  Rheumaticide: 

Carbolic  acid   2  parts 

Glycerin    4  parts 

Iodin    4  parts 


290  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFOItM 

And  yet  tin-  exploiters  of  Rheiimaticide  call  their  nostrum  a 
"scrum"  and  inveigh  against  the  use  of  drugs  in  this  disease! 
For  example: 

"Drjgs- — confessedly  useless  even  by  those  who  prescribe  them." 
"It  relieves  the  pain  rapidly,  but  the  relief  thus  obtained,  unlike 
that   from   drugs,   is  permanent. 

"Introduces  no  substances  foreign  to  the  economy." 

In  short,  the  exploitation  of  Rheumaticide  is  merely  an 
impudent  attempt  to  foist  a  nostrum  on  the  public  with  the  aid 
of  such  physicians  as  are  willing  to  become  partners  to  such  a 
scheme.  The  annual  report  of  the  counsel  to  the  Medical 
Society  of  the  County  of  New  York  for  1911  stated  that  the 
Rheumaticide  Company  was  found  guilty  of  practicing  med- 
icine and  that  a  fine  of  $250  be  imposed. — (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  .',,  1913.) 

SALACETIN 

Some  time  ago  we  wrote  to  Messrs.  Bell  &  Co.,  calling  their 
attention  to  the  fact  that  we  had  made  an  examination1  of 
their  product,  salacetin,  and  that  as  a  result  of  such  examina- 
tion it  was  found  to  be  a  mixture,  which  did  not  coincide 
exactly  with  their  description  of  it.  They  replied:  "Our 
description  of  salacetin  is  correct  and  we  have  nothing  more 
to  impart  except  that  any  one  publishing  any  different  for- 
mula from  that  given  in  our  circulars  will  be  held  responsible 
by  us." 

The  description  they  give  is  as  follows: 

Prepared  by  the  Interaction,  with  heat,  of  salicylic  acid,  glacial 
acetic  acid,  and  purified  phenylamine. 

This  sounds  very  scientific,  but  when  we  remember  that 
acetanilid  is  a  result  of  the  action  of  glacial  acetic  acid  on 
phenylamine  (anilin)  their  description  is  cute,  to  say  the 
least.  Of  course,  there  is  "interaction  with  heat"  when  sali- 
cylic acid  is  combining  with  bicarbonate  of  sodium  to  form 
salicylate  of  sodium.  Further,  there  is,  no  doubt,  some  ''inter- 
action with  heat"  when  the  substances  are  rubbed  together 
in  mixing  them  and  when  they  are  going  through  the  mill  to 
form  tablets,  not  to  mention  the  heated  imagination  of  the 
promoters  of  this  "synthetic." 

The  following  taken  from  the  advertising  literature  fur- 
nished by  the  manufacturers  and  distributed  by  them,  is 
quoted  to  show  the  claims  made  for  this  preparation: 

Salacetin  is  free  from  Toluodine  and  produces  no  harmful 
cyanosis.  In  the  treatment  of  Acute  Bronchitis,  Grippe,  influenza, 
Tonsillitis,  Lithemic  Headaches,  Rheumatism-  and  Neuralgias,  it 
relieves  pain,  reduces  inflammation  and  abnormal  temperature,  and 
eliminates  uric  acid  more  quickly  and  thoroughly  than  the  salicyl- 
ates,  and  without  causing  depression  or  stomachic  or  renal  irrita- 
tion. 

1.  THE  JouiiXAi.  A.  M.  A..  June  .'!,  lOO.'i  :  reproduced  on  page 
10  of  Ibis  book. 


I/  /  N(  •/•:/,  A  .4  NEOU8     NOSTRUMS  291 

Have  personally  interviewed  thousands  of  physicians,  including 
every  prominent  one  in  the  East,  and  can  honestly  state  that  we 
have  never  known  of  anything  at  once  so  efficient  and  so  unobjection- 
able in  the  removal  of  rheumatic  and  neuralgic  pain  and  other 
symptoms  of  the  uric-acid  accumulation.  ...  La  Grippe  and 
Acute  Bronchitis  it  relieves  pain  and  coughing,  reduces  inflammation 
and  temperature,  makes  the  patient  comfortable,  and  checks  the 
progress  of  the  disease.  In  Tonsillitis  its  action  is  specific.  .  .  . 
In  Acid  Cystitis,  it  neutralizes  acidity,  reduces  inflammation  and 
removes  irritation.  ...  In  Dysmenorrhea  it  relieves  pain  and 
congestion  with  no  hallucinations,  constipation  or  danger  of  a  drug 
habit. 

In  Dysmenorrhea  and  Ovarian  Neuralgias  try  Sal-Codeia — Bell. 
It  will  relieve  the  pain  as  well  as  morphia.  It  will  not  check  any 
secretions,  induce  any  habit,  cause  any  depression  or  inconvenience 
of  any  kind. 

Of  course,  it  is  well  understood  that  acetanilid  is  a  valu- 
able remedy  in  many  instances,  if  used  with  caution  and  when 
indicated.  It  certainly  has  some  therapeutic  value.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  it  relieves  pain  of  various  kinds.  It  is  to 
be  presumed  that  combining  salicylate  of  sodium  with  it  will 
have  certain  beneficial  effects  in  certain  rheumatic  conditions, 
on  the  supposition  that  salicylate  of  sodium  and  acetanilid 
are  both  used  with  more  or  less  success  in  certain  of  these 
conditions.  Also,  the  combining  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium, 
carbonate  of  ammonia,  caffein,  citric  acid,  one  or  several  of 
these,  may  result  in  a  fairly  good  combination,  but  these 
combinations  can  be  found  in  the  list  of  preparations  of  all 
our  large  manufacturing  pharmaceutical  houses,  which  supply 
them  at  one-tenth  of  the  cost  of  these  secret  remedies.  The 
physician  in  using  these  preparations  put  out  by  reputable 
recognized  manufacturing  pharmaceutical  houses,  not  only  is 
prescribing  preparations  that  are  non-secret,  but  is  using 
remedies  that  cost  one-tenth  as  much  as  the  secret  prepara- 
tions, which  are  exploited  under  fanciful  names  and  pushed  by 
ridiculous  claims. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  1, 
1905..) 


SAL-CODEIA— BELL 

According  to  the  advertisements  "Salacetin" 

".  .  ,  .  is  a  combination  with  heat  of  salicylic  and  glacial 
acetic  acids  with  phenylamine,  the  irritating,  depressing  and  blood- 
corpuscle  destroying  elements  removed." 

According  to  the  Committee  on  Chemistry  of  the  Council  on 
Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion, whose  report  was  published  in  THE  JOUBNAL  of  the 
American  Medical  Association  June  3,  1905,  p.  1791,  "Salace- 
tin" is  a  mixture  of  acetanilid,  salicylate  of  sodium  and  bicar- 
bonate of  sodium.  Sal-Codeia  (Salacetin-Codein),  therefore 
would  be  the  same  as  the  above  with  codein  added.  Of  course, 
acetanilid  and  codein  will  relieve  pain  (it  could  not  do  other- 
wise) and  consequently  make  a  very  good  combination  in 
certain  conditions,  if  not  used  too  often  and  if  used  with  care. 
Although  the  continued  use  of  codein  is  not  likely  to  produce  a 


292  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

drug  habit,  it,  as  well  as  acetanilid,  does  so  sometimes,  and  it 
must  be  remembered  that  codein  is  a  motor  paralysant,  and 
is  not  the  best  combination  to  be  used  with  acetanilid.  For 
those  who  wish  to  give  a  combination  of  acetanilid,  salicylate 
of  sodium  and  codein,  the  following  prescription  is  suggested: 

R.  Acetanilid  '. 31  4| 

Sodil  bicarbonatls  3ss  2| 

Sodii  salicylatis 3ss  2| 

Codein  sulph gr.  vi  14 

M.  et  div.  chart  No.  xxiv. 

This  will  make  five-grain  powders  which  may  be  put  in 
papers,  capsules,  cachets  or  tablets.  Each  will  contain  2% 
grains  (0.15)  of  acetanilid  and  1}4  grains  (0.075)  each  of 
sodium  salicylate  and  sodium  bicarbonate,  with  }4  grain 
(0.015)  of  codein. 

The  doses  of  acetanilid  and  of  codein  approximate  the  aver- 
age adult  doses,  but  the  sodium  salicylate,  to  have  any  appre- 
ciable effect,  must  be  increased,  for  1*4  grains  of  salicylate  of 
sodium  in  a  dose  is  insignificantly  small.  Sodium  salicylate 
with  acetanilid  makes  a  fairly  good  combination  in  certain 
rheumatic  troubles,  but  it  is  not  indicated  by  any  means  as 
a  cure-all,  as  one  would  judge  from  the  literature  sent  out  by 
the  Sal-Codeia — Bell  people. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Nov.  Ji,  1905.) 

SAL  HEPATICA 

This  wonderful  mixture,  according  to  the  advertisements, 
is  "a  combination  of  the  tonic,  alterative  and  laxative  salts 
similar  to  the  celebrated  'bitter  waters'  of  Europe,  as  deter- 
mined by  actual  chemical  analysis  of  these  waters,  and  forti- 
fied by  the  addition  of  lithia  and  sodium  phosphate" — a  descrip- 
tion, by  the  way,  that  is  used  verbatim  et  literatim  by  the  A. 
D.  S.  in  describing  its  "Hepatic  Salts." 

As  usual,  in  inflicting  this  remedy  on  the  public,  the  manu- 
facturer makes  use  of  cast-off  medical  theories  and  unwar- 
ranted claims.  The  marked  absurdity  of  some  of  the  state- 
ments indicates  that  they  are  intended  for  the  lay  public. 
Surely  no  nostrum-maker  would  suppose  that  he  could  delude 
even  the  most  credulous  portion  of  the  medical  profession 
into  believing  the  statements  made  in  the  advertisements 
concerning  sal  hepatica,  namely,  that  the  same  remedy  is  a 
uric-acid  eliminant,  hepatic  stimulant,  a  specific  for  gout, 
rheumatism,  cirrhosis  of  the  liver,  Bright's  disease,  gravel, 
tuberculosis,  struma,  marasmus,  dyspepsia,  infantile  fluxes, 
etc. 

The  following  analysis  of  "Sal  Hepatica"  was  published  in 
the  Druggists  Circular,  February,  1909,  p.  78 : 

Salt  13.05  parts 

Sodium   sulphate    26.27  parts 

Sodium    phosphate    29.80  parts 

Sodium    bicarbonate    18.00  parts 

Lithium    phosphate     0.04  part 

Citric  and  tartarlc  acids,  to  make..- 100.00  parts 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  2fl3 


Our  old  friend  lithium  is  added,  undoubtedly,  to  influence 
the  few  physicians  who  still  accept  the  discarded  theory 
regarding  the  solvent  effect  of  lithium  salts  on  uric  acid.  Such 
physicians  must  be  easily  influenced  if  they  can  believe  that 
4/10,000  parts  of  lithium  would  have  any  therapeutic  effect! 

Thus  once  more  the  medical  profession  is  asked  to 
indorse  a  nostrum  consisting  of  a  mixture  of  simple  saline 
laxatives  such  as  any  physician  can  prescribe  and  any  drug- 
gist prepare,  and  to  sanction  the  blatant  advertising  of  the 
mixture  as  a  specific  in  such  grave  maladies  as  cirrhosis  of 
the  liver  and  Bright's  disease.  This  advertising  has  already 
made  the  drug  known  to  the  laity,  who  see  in  the  shrewdly 
chosen  name  an  indication  of  the  use  of  the  nostrum  in  liver 
disease  and  that  undefined  but  favorite  malady  of  the  public, 
"biliousness." 

The  abuse  of  saline  cathartics  by  the  public  is  an  evil 
deserving  of  serious  attention.  Rightly  or  wrongly,  the  laity 
fear  constipation,  and  naturally  take  what  they  are  taught 
to  believe  is  the  cheapest  and  simplest  course  for  its  relief, 
self-drugging  by  means  of  saline  cathartics  or  the  extensively 
advertised  purgative  mineral  waters.  This  habit  is  responsible 
for  much  of  the  distressing  spastic  constipation  that  exists, 
and  its  accompanying  neurasthenia.  The  advertisement  and 
sale  to  the  laity  of  such  a  nostrum  as  "Sal  Hepatica"  can  only 
increase  these  evil  results  and  the  physician  who  aids  and 
abets  the  evil  by  using  the  preparation  should  reflect  whether 
he  is  thereby  not  only  encouraging  a  fraud  on  the  public, 
but  also,  what  is  even  worse,  helping  to  impair  the  public 
health.— ('From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  26,  1910.) 


SANATOGEN 
Cottage   Cheese — The   New  Elixir  of  Life 

The  psychology  of  advertising  is  nowhere  better  exemplified 
than  in  the  "patent  medicine"  and  proprietary  fields.  The 
reason  is  evident.  Knowing  that  the  general  tendency  of  the 
human  organism  is  toward  health  rather  than  toward  disease 
and  that  the  "healing  power  of  nature" — vis  medicntrix  natures 
— will  account  for  a  large  proportion  of  recoveries  from  sick- 
ness, it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  thousands  of  prepara- 
tions sold  for  medicinal  purposes  receive  credit  that  is  entirely 
undeserved.  The  awarding  of  such  undeserved  credit  is  largely 
due  to  the  universal  tendency  of  those  who  are  not  trained  in 
science  to  apply  the  post  hoc,  ergo  propter  hoc  argument  in  all 
matters  relating  to  health  and  disease. 

John  Smith  suffers  from  a  passing  indisposition.  When  he 
recovers  he  credits  his  recovery  to  whatever  he  may  have  done 
just  preceding  that  recovery.  If  he  has  received  medical 
attention,  the  physician  gets  the  credit;  if  he  has  taken 


2!)4  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

"absent  treatment,"  Christian  Science  is  responsible;  if  lie  has 
taken  sugar  pills,  "Prof."  Munyon  gets  the  praise — while, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  if  he  had  taken  none  of  these,  he  would 
have  recovered  since  he  was  only  temporarily  indisposed. 

Nor  are  laymen  the  only  ones  that  fall  into  such  errors. 
Many  physicians  who  prescribe  new,  widely-advertised  prepa- 
rations are  likely  to  give  those  products  credit  for  what- 
ever favorable  change  may  take  place  in  their  patients'  con- 
dition. This  failing  is  not  a  modern  one.  In  1842  Dr.  Ben- 
jamin Brodie  wrote:  "We  have  no  doubt  that  many  well- 
instructed  medical  practitioners  have  not  sufficiently  con- 
sidered what  course  a  given  disease  would  take  if  it  were  left 
to  itself;  and  as  to  others,  it  is  not  possible  that  they  should 
have  any  real  knowledge  on  the  subject.  With  the  majority 
of  persons  a  recovery  will  generally  pass  for  a  cure." 

THE    POWER   OF    ADVERTISING 

While  every  physician  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  facts 
just  stated,  it  seems  worth  while  to  give  them  as  a  probable 
explanation  of  what  is  to  follow.  Within  the  last  few  years 
the  medical  profession  and  the  public  of  this  country  have 
been  asked  to  believe  that  a  combination  of  cottage  cheese — or 
its  equivalent — with  a  small  amount  of  glycerophosphates  is 
capable,  when  sold  under  .a  proprietary  name  and  with  the 
right  kind  of  advertising,  of  producing  physiologic  effects  that 
are  little  short  of  marvelous. 

The  name  of  this  elixir  of  life  is  Sanatogen,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  the  history  of  modern  advertising  furnishes  any  more 
notable  example  of  the  commercial  potentialities  of  publicity 
than  that  exhibited  in  the  exploitation  of  this  product.  The 
Sanatogen  advertising  campaign  is  probably  the  most  skilful 
piece  of  work  of  its  kind  ever  done.  On  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic,  every  effort  has  been  made  to  endow  the  advertise- 
ments with  a  dignity  which,  to  those  who  know  the  very  ordi- 
nary nature  of  the  product  advertised,  is  grotesquely  out  of 
keeping.  Only  the  highest-class  magazines  and  newspapers 
have  been  patronized;  the  "copy"  has  been  so  written  as  to 
appeal  not  to  the  ignorant  but  to  the  intelligent.  Testimonials 
from  men  whose  names  are  well  known,  even  though  by  train- 
ing and  education  they  are  incompetent  to  pass  judgment  on  a 
product  of  this  kind,  and  fulsomely  laudatory  letters  from 
men  whose  education  and  training  should  have  taught  them 
better — both  have  been  used  with  all  the  skill  of  the  trained 
publicity  man.  In  short,  Sanatogen  stands  as  a  monument  to 
the  power  of  printers'  ink. 

The  claims  for  this  product  have  already  been  referred  to 
in  THE  JOURNAL,  but  it  will  do  no  harm  to  bring  them  again 
before  our  readers.  Here  are  some  taken  from  advertisements: 


\UXTRUM8 


295 


"The  Re-Creator  of  Lost  Health." 

"Sanatogen  is    ...     a  rebuilding  food." 

"     .     .     .     revitalizes  the  overworked  nervous  system." 

"Specific  nerve  tonic  action." 

"Most  reliable  and  scientific  of  all  nutrients." 

"...  in  certain  diseases  it  exerts  a  specific  action  which 
renders  it  a  valuable  adjunct  to. other  curative  measures." 

"It  stimulates  metabolic  activity  of  tissue  cells  and  secures  more 
complete  oxidation  of  energy  yielding  elements." 


New   Life  for  Nervous   Sufferers! 


Greatly  reduced  photographic  reproduction  of  a  full-page  Sau- 
atog-en  advertisement  appearing  in  the  London  Graphic.  The 
Graphic  was  one  of  the  London  magazines  that  refused  to  accept  an 
advertisement  of  the  book  issued  by  the  British  Medical  Association, 
exposing  "patent-medicine"  frauds. 

"Sanatogen  nourishes  the  system  in  a  persistent,  gradual,  cumu- 
ive  way,  so  that  its  best  effects  unfold  themselves  in  a  systematic, 
.._    ._    •.._,.,.    __„   ^ .,.       T.  -ollows  that  a 

necessary  for 


lative  way,  so  that  its  best  effects  unfold  themselves  in  a  sys 
substantial  progression  to  health  and  strength.  It  follows 
regular  and  prolonged  administration  of  Sanatogen  is  neces 
the  attainment  of  lasting  results." 


296  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

"Sanatog-en  is  a  scientific  compound,  every  particle  of  which  rep- 
resents the  finest  concentrated,  tissue-constructing  nutriment, 
endowed  with  unique  revitalizing  and  rejuvenating  powers." 

"Sanatogen  contains  over  700  per  cent,  more  tissue-building,  life 
sustaining  nourishment  than  wheat  flour." 

Truly  a  wonderful  preparation — if  these  statements  are 
true!  But  they  are  false — most  of  them  at  least.  And  in 
that  many  who  can  ill  afford  it  may  be  led  to  pay  a  ruinously 
high  price  for  a  very  ordinary  food,  the  statements  are 
viciously  and  cruelly  false. 

In  view  of  the  properties  with  which  Sanatogen  is  credited, 
its  composition  is  naturally  a  matter  of  more  than  ordinary 
interest.  What  is  this  life-giving  product?  A  package  of 
Sanatogen  was  purchased  and  subjected  to  examination  and 
analysis  in  the  Association's  laboratory.  Our  chemists  report: 

LABORATORY    REPORT 

Sanatogen  is  a  fine,  nearly  white  powder  having  a  faint 
yellowish  tinge.  A  circular  which  is  enclosed  in  the  pack- 
age states : 

"Sanatogen  is  a  definite  organic  combination  of  95  per  cent, 
of  pure,  specially  prepared  casein  and  5  per  cent,  of  sodium 
glycerophospbate,  ..." 

Qualitative  tests  indicated  the  presence  in  Sanatogen  of 
casein,  sodium,  a  phosphorous  compound  and  glycerin  or  :i 
glycerin  compound.  Starch  and  sugars  were  absent.  Quan- 
titative analysis  shovred  that  the  composition  of  the 
specimen  was  essentially  as  follows: 

Water  (loss  at  130  C.) 8.60 

Ash    6.23 

Casein  and  other  proteins  (N  X  6.38) 83.10 

Casein  (N  in  precipitated  casein  X  6.38) 80.57 

Proteins  other  than  casein  (by  differenae) 2.53 

Sodium  glycerophosphate  (NaC3H7O0I')  (P  in  fil- 
trate from  casein  precipitation  X  6.79) 5.59 

Insoluble  matter 0.84 

Undetermined 1.87 

While  these  results  show  that  the  claims  concerning  the 
composition  of  Sanatogen  are  not  entirely  correct,  they 
indicate  that  the  essential  element  in  Sanatogen  is  casein. 

The  slight'  variation  between  the  composition  claimed  for 
Sanatogen  and  the  composition  as  determined  by  chemical 
analysis  is  of  minor  importance.  Whether  there  is  83  per 
cent,  of  casein  as  found  by  the  Association's  chemists  or  95 
per  cent,  as  asserted  by  the  manufacturers  matters  little.  The 
important  fact  is  that  casein  makes  up  about  nine-tenths  of 
the  preparation  and,  as  must  be  perfectly  evident,  Sanatogen 
derives  whatever  food  value  it  may  have  from  that  casein. 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


297 


Casein  is  known  in  its  commonest  form  as  the  curd  in  milk, 
or  as  "cottage  cheese."  After  the  cream  has  been  separated, 
the  milk  which  remains  contains  nearly  all  the  casein  and  milk 
sugar  originally  present  but  practically  none  of  the  fat. 

WHY   NOT   COTTAGE   CHEESE? 

Whence  comes  the  stimulation  of  metabolic  activity,  the 
wonderful  nourishment  of  the  system,  the  marvelous 
revitalizing  and  rejuvenating  power  claimed  for  Sanatogen? 
Not  from  the  sodium  glycerophosphate,  for  the  consensus  of 
opinion  among  leading  physiologists  indicates  that  phos- 
phorus in  the  form  of  glycerophosphates  has  little  influence 
on  metabolism.  Not  from  the  glycerin,  surely,  for  even  grant- 
ing that  glycerin  has  food  value  the  amount  present  is  so 
small  as  to  be  negligible.  The  real  source  of  energy  in  Sana- 
togen, then,  lies  in  the  casein  which  comprises  about  nine- 
tcnths  of  it's  ingredients. 


Kind  of  Food  Material 

Price  per 
Pound 

Cost  of 
1,000  Calories 
Energy 

Calories. 
Energy  for 
One  Dollar 

Sanatogen  

$4.54 
05 

*3.01 

332 

1  300 

Eggs  ($0.36  per  doz.).. 
Beef,  round  

.24 
.14 

.39 
.16 

2,600 
6,300 

Milk  ($0.07  per  qt.)  .  .  . 
Pork,  loin  roast  
Butter 

.035 
.12 
30 

.11 
.10 
09 

8,850 
10,350      . 
11  250 

Mackerel,  salt  dressed.. 
Cheese  
Beef,  stew  meat  
Wheat  bread  
Kice 

.10 
.16 
.05 
.06 

08 

.09 
.08 
.07 
.05 
05 

11,350 
11,850 
15,300 
20,000     . 
20  250 

Sugar  
Pork,  fat  salt  

.06 

.12 

.03 
.03 

29,200 
29,500 

Potatoes  
Beans,  white  
Oatmeal 

.01 
.05 
04 

.03 
.03 
02 

29,500 
30,400 
45  000 

Cornmeal  
Wheat  flour  

.025 
.025 

.02 
.02 

65,400 
65,400 

Of  course  Sanatogen,  being  composed  largely  of  casein,  has 
some  food  value.  What  that  food  value  is  may  be  seen  by  the 
accompanying  table  which  compares  the  yield  of  energy  for 
Sanatogen  with  that  of  a  number  of  staple  food  products,  the 
figures  for  the  latter  having  been  adapted  from  Professor 
Atwater's  calculations.  This  table  shows  that,  from  the 
standpoint  of  economy  in  the  purchase  of  energy,  no  other 
food  in  the  list  is  so  poor  as  Sanatogen.  While  the  manu- 
facturers claim  that  "Sanatogen  contains  over  700  per 
cent,  more  tissue-building,  life-sustaining  nourishment  than 
wheat  flour,"  the  table  shows  that  one  dollar's  worth  of  wheat 
flour  contains  as  much  energy  as  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
dollars'  worth  of  Sanatogen! 


298 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


AX    INQUIRY 

Like  all  "patent  medicines,"  Sanatogen  is  exploited  by  the 
testimonial  route.  Actors,  authors,  politicians  and  not  a  few 
physicians — the  latter,  to  the  credit  of  the  American  profes- 
sion, be  it  said,  being  chiefly  Europeans — have  testified  to  the 
wonderful  properties  of  this  product.  Believing  that  it  would 
be  of  interest  to  learn  what  scientific  men  thought  of  Sana- 
togen a  letter  of  inquiry  was  written  to  several  men  whose 


Some  of  the  reasons  for  the  sale  of  Sanatogen  !  A  few  specimen 
advertisements  of  Sanatogen's  enormously  expensive  advertising 
campaign. 

training  particularly  fits  them  to  express  an  impartial  opinion 
on  a  question  of  this  kind.  The  following  inquiry,  expressed 
in  practically  the  same  words,  was  propounded: 
.  Is  it  possible  for  a  product,  even  if  it  has  the  composition 
claimed  for  Sanatogen,  to  have  properties  as  a  food  and  med- 
icine which  are  claimed  for  this  preparation? 


.MIM'KIJ,.\.NEOU8.    NOSTRUMS    _  299 

The  replies  io  this  inquiry  are  interesting  and  instructive, 
although  they  are  what  might  have  been  expected  from  men 
whose  judgment  has  not  been  warped  by  the  glittering  claims 
of  the  Sanatogen  publicity  agents. 

THE   REPLIES 

Dr.  Lewellys  F.  Barker,  professor  of  medicine,  Johns  Hopkins 
University,  medical  department,  says  in  part: 

"If  Sanatogen  consists  simply  of  casein  and  sodium  glycero- 
phosphate,  it  is  pretty  obvious  that  all  of  its  good  effects 
(except  perhaps  the  psychic  influence  of  taking  an  expensive 
and,  to  the  layman,  mysterious  remedy)  can  be  gotten  by 
including  milk  and  eggs  in  the  food.  .  .  . 

"The  objection  to  Sanatogen  lies,  it  seems  to  me,  not  in  the 
assertion  of  its  proprietors  that  it  is  a  'food  and  a  tonic,'  but 
in  the  misleading  of  the  public  and  physicians  into  the  belief 
that  it  possesses  extraordinary  powers  which  make  it  worth 
while  to  pay  the  price  charged  for  it  in  order  to  get  it.  Very 
extravagent  claims  are  being  made  for  it  in  advertisements 
in  the  lay  press.  If  just  as  much,  and  more,  good  in  the  form 
of  'food  and  tonic'  can  be  obtained  from  a  dollar's  worth  of 
milk  and  eggs  as  from  a  dollar  and  ninety  cents'  worth  of 
Sanatogen,  it  is  surely  the  duty  of  the  medical  profession  to 
inform  the  public  of  that  fact." 

Dr.  Frank  Billings,  professor  of  medicine  and  head  of  the 
Department  of  Medicine,  University  of  Chicago,  expresses  his 
opinion  thus: 

"Of  course,  the  thing  is  a  fraud  both  as  a  food  and  as  a 
tonic.  Even  if  it  met  all  the  requirements  of  the  statements 
made  of  it  by  the  makers,  it  would  not  be  any  more  of  a  food 
than  as  much  casein  taken  in  milk  and  probably  not  as 
good;  or  any  more  than  some  other  albumin  taken  in  some 
other  form.  I  do  not  know  just  what  pharmacologists  say  of 
the  glycerophosphate  of  soda,  but  so  far  as  my  own  clinical 
observations  go  I  never  saw  any  result  from  its  use  that  could 
be  called  specific,  that  is,  due  to  the  drug." 

Dr.  Richard  C.  Cabot,  assistant  professor  of  clinical  medi- 
cine, Harvard  Medical  School,  says: 

"In  reply  to  your  letter  respecting  the  properties  of  Sana- 
togen, I  would  say  that  in  my  opinion  it  is  vastly  improbable 
that  it  has  the  properties  claimed  for  it  in  the  advertisements 
which  you  enclosed  to  me.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  is  a  fairly 
good  food.  I  see  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  phosphorus 
that  it  contains  has  any  special  action." 

Otto  Folin,  professor  of  biological  chemistry,  Harvard  Med- 
ical School,  expresses  himself  thus: 

"For  myself,  or  for  any  one  who  would  take  my  advice,  I 
would  prefer  a  glass  of  milk  to  Sanatogen  when  hungry  and 
plain  glycerophosphate  to  Sanatogen  when  in  need  of  a  tonic. 

"Medicated  feed  used  to  be  sold  for  horses.  To  me  the 
'food  tonic'  combination  represents  one  of  the  most  unscrupu- 
lous fake  ideas  used  by  manufacturers  of  patented  articles  to 
fool  the  public." 


300  ^    PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Ludvig  Hektoen,  professor  of  pathology ,  University  of  Clii- 
cago,  says  in  part: 

"In  my  opinion,  no  attention  whatsoever  should  be  paid  to 
the  claims  advanced  in  favor  of  'Sanatogen'  as  food  and  as 
medicine,  because  the  statements  made  in  the  advertisements 
of  this  product  are  extravagant,  misleading  and  quackish." 

J.  H.  Long,  professor  of  chemistry  and  director  of  chem- 
ical laboratories,  Northwestern  University  Medical  School, 
expresses  the  following  opinion: 

"With  every  reading  of  the  advertising  literature  of  the 
Sanatogen  Company  I  am  more  and  more  impressed  by  the 
gross  exaggeration  of  the  claims  made  for  this  mixture  of 
casein  and  sodium  glycerophosphate.  Cow's  milk  contains 
3%  to  4  per  cent,  of  casein,  associated  with  soluble  phos- 
phates. It  is  absurd  to  think  that  this  casein  after  precipita- 
tion from  the  milk  has  a  greater  nutritive  value  than  it  has 
in  its  native  condition.  Casein,  at  best,  is  probably  less 
valuable  as  a  food  than  are  certain  other  proteins,  because  of 
iis  lack  of  some  of  the  amino  groups  essential  in  tissue 
building,  and  the  addition  of  a  glycerophosphate  cannot  supply 
this  deficiency. 

"This  is  not  the  first  attempt  to  exploit  casein  preparations. 
The  earlier  efforts  failed  in  practice  because  they  were  based 
on  a  wrong  conception  concerning  the  physiologic  value  and 
importance  of  this  protein.  The  assumption  that  in  the  case 
of  Sanatogen  a  'definite  organic  combination'  with  the  glycero- 
phosphate is  formed  cannot  be  taken  seriously  by  chemists. 
We  have  witnessed  many  such  efforts  to  palm  off  mixtures  as 
definite  organic  compounds,  and  in  this  way  to  claim  for  them 
a  value  in  excess  of  that  which  they  actually  possess." 

Graham  Lusk,  professor  of  physiology,  Cornell  University 
Medical  College,  after  calling  attention  to  the  falsity  of  the 
claim  that  Sanatogen  is  "a  life-sustaining  agent  in  disease," 
says: 

"If  one  considers  the  casein  content  alone,  the  dose  of  Sana- 
togen recommended  in  the  circular  would  furnish,  at  best, 
about  what  is  contained  in  a  pint  of  milk,  or  one-fourth  of 
the  total  of  the  protein  necessities  of  the  body — using  a  low 
protein  requirement.  That  sodium  glycerophosphate  has  any 
distinctly  beneficial  physiologic  action  has  never,  to  my 
knowledge,  been  shown. 

"It  is  a  great  pity  that  the  public  does  not  realize  the 
splendid' and  economical  value  of  milk,  bread  and  the  ordinary 
vegetables,  cereals  and  meats,  as  true  'tonic  food  stuffs,'  in 
contradistinction  to  prepared  nostrums  whose  sale  depends  on 
a  psychic  stimulus  applied  to  a  susceptible  populace." 

H.  Gideon  Wells,  associate  professor  of  pathology,  University 
of  Chicago,  says: 

"There  is  nothing  in  my  knowledge  of  physiologic  chemistry 
which  would  lead  me  to  believe  that  a  mixture  of  chemically 
isolated  casein  and  sodium  glycerophosphate  would  possess 
any  effect  more  favorable  than  that  of  a  corresponding  amount 
of  milk.  I  can  easily  believe  that  it  would  be  less  valuable 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS 


301 


than  milk.  The  successful  practice  of  many  commercial 
houses,  of  isolating  one  of  the  constituents  of  our  food,  and 
ascribing  to  it  marvelous  nutritive  or  therapeutic  properties, 
is  one  of  the  most  telling  bits  of  evidence  of  the  inadequacy 
of  the  education  of  the  medical  profession  in  physiology  and 
physiologic  chemistry  that  can  be  conceived." 

The  consensus  of  opinion  thus  expressed  is  only  what  might 
have  been  expected  from  men  who  could  discuss  the  problem 
in  a  purely  judicial  spirit  and  with  a  freedom  from  that  bias 
which  seems  to  be  inseparable  from  the  consideration  of  the 
simplest  of  mixtures  that  have  been  glorified  by  a  proprietary 
name. 


WHEAT        FLOUR 

SUGAR 

n 

> 

C    0  VJ'S    * 

M   I   L  K   H 
o 

0 

life         ''ilUK 

^V^VvvitS    W 

•&&&S3;  & 
iWl  nil 

WHAT      $1.00      WILL        BUY        IU        FOOD 

SU2RGY  ! 

WHAT  ONE  DOLLAR  WILL  BUY  IN  FOOD  ENERGY  !     A  COMPARISON  OF 

THE   CALORIC   VALUES   OF   SANATOGEN,   COW'S    MILK,   SUGAR  AND  WHEAT 

FLOUR.    BASED  ON  THE  TABLE  ACCOMPANYING  THIS  ARTICLE. 


THE  TYRANNY  OF  WORDS 

Herr  Teufelsdrockh  was  right  when  he  panegyrized  clothes. 
And  the  worship  of  clothes  is  carried  to  the  extreme  nowhere 
so  much  as  in  the  case  of  word-clothes.  The  most  plebeian 
things  when  bedecked  in  sufficiently  imposing  word-finery  are 
endowed  with  the  attributes  of  royalty  before  which  the  aver- 
age intellect  bows  down.  Neither  cottage-cheese  nor  glycero- 
phosphates,  when  exposed  naked  to  the  world,  commands  any 
overweening  respect;  combined  and  dressed  in  the  magic 
word  "Sanatogen,"  they  receive  the  homage  of  those  whose 
judgment  is  blinded  by  the  glittering  trappings  of  word-finery. 
Some  day,  possibly,  there  will  be  a  democracy  of  intellect 
which  Avill  refuse  to  prostrate  itself  before  mere  word-raiment 
and  will  insist  on  appraising  things  at  their  naked  worth. 
When  that  day  comes,  proprietary  humbugs  like  Sanatogen 
will  have  become  as  extinct  as  the  dodo  and  the  great  auk. 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  20,  1912.} 


;W>  PR01'.\<;\\I>1      l-'tHi 

SYRUP   OF   COCILLANA   COMPOUND 

A  physician  in  a  small  town  in  Nebraska  writes:  "In  look- 
ing over  a  prescription  file  not  long  ago  I  found  a  prescription 
which  I  copied  and  am  sending  to  you.  It  is  a  good  example 
of  shot-gun  prescribing.  I  do  not  give  the  name  of  the  pre- 
scriber,  and  you  will  please  not  mention  from  whence  this 
comes.  The  doctor  who  wrote  this  has  had  about  ten  years' 
experience." 

Here  is  the  prescription  given  exactly  as  transmitted  by  our 
correspondent : 

Sp.  sticta Gtt  xv 

Sp.  ipecac    Gtt  x 

Sp.  bryonia    Gtt  x 

Sp.  macrotys 31 

Bromoform  Bronchial  Anodyne Jii 

Syrup  Cocillana  Comp.  q.  s.  ad *vi 

Teaspoonful  every  two  or  three  hours. 

It  is  evident  that  the  prescriber  is  an  eclectic.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  in  a  second  letter  from  the  physician  who  forwarded 
the  prescription,  we  are  informed  that  the  prescriber  is  a 
graduate  of  an  eclectic  institution  not  a  thousand  miles  from 
where  he  practices.  The  "Sp"  in  the  prescription  does  not 
mean  "Spiritus,"  but  specific  tincture.  The  prescriber  is  an 
advocate  of  specific  remedies,  one  of  which  should  fit  the 
condition,  but  he  is  broad-minded  enough  to  call  help  from 
the  outside,  and  so  adds  fifteen  other  remedies  to  the  spe- 
cific selected,  including  alcohol.  The  inability  of  one  mind  to 
remember  all  the  ingredients  of  so  complex  a  mixture  will 
explain  the  fact  that  ipecac  is  duplicated,  occurring  both  as  a 
specific  tincture  and  as  an  ingredient  of  Bromoform  Bron- 
chial Anodyne.  The  latter,  the  manufacturers  tell  us,  con- 
tains in  one  fluidounce: 


Alcohol 

Bromoform    

Ipecac    

Ammonium  bromid 
Benzoin    


24  grs. 
1  gr. 


Syrup  Cocillana  Comp.,  one  of  the  "elegant  specialties"  of 
Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  of  which  they  certainly  ought  to  be  very 
proud,  contains,  we  are  told,  in  one  fluidounce: 

A  Icohol ,  5  per  cent. 

Heroin  hydrochlorid 8/24  gr. 

Tinct.  of  euphorbia  pilulifern 120  min. 

Syrup  of  wild  lettuce 120  min. 

Tinct.  of  cocillana 40  min. 

Syrup  of  squill  comp 24  min. 

Cascarln.  P.  D.  &  Co 8  grs. 

Menthol   8/100  gr. 

This  "elegant  specialty"  of  Parko.  Davis  &  Co.  is  not  only 
a  shot-gun  prescription,  hut  has  :is  one  of  its  ingredients  -,\ 
mixture  itself  containing  three  ingredients,  namely:  Syrup 
Squill  Comp.  (Coxe's  Hive  Syntp).  making  ten  in  all — a  beau- 
tiful example  of  scientific  pharmacy. 


.    MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  303 

We  wonder  if   our   eclectic  brother  really   appreciated  that 
his  prescription,  written  out,  would  be  as  follows: 

Sp.   sticta   Gtt  xv 

Sp.    ipecac    Gtt  x 

Sp.    bryonia    Gtt  x 

Sp.   macrotys    31 

Alcohol     5  per  cent. 

Bromoforin    8  drops 

Ipicac    %  gr. 

Ammonium   bromid    24  grs. 

Benzoin     1  gr. 

Alcohol     5  per  cent. 

Heroin  hydrochlorid    8/24  gr. 

Tinct.  of  euphorbia  pilulifcra 120  ihii:. 

Syrup  of  wild  lettuce 120  min. 

Tinct.  of  cocillana 40  min. 

Fluidcxtract    of    squill CO  min. 

Fluidcxtract  of  seneg-a GO  min. 

Antimony  and  potassium   tnrtnite 1  gr. 

Cascarin,  P.  D.  &  Co 8  grs. 

Menthol     8/100  gr. 

To  use  a  slang  expression,  this  is  certainly  going  some!  — 
(From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March  18,  1911.) 


"A  Cough  Syrup  with  a  History" 

The  following  letter  was  received  from  Dr.  George  P.  Tol- 
man,  Watsonville,  Cal.: 

"To  the  Editor: — The  enclosed  advertisement  was  under- 
scored and  mailed  to  me  by  my  druggist.  The  properties  of 
cocillana  are  similar  to  ipecac.  The  dose  of  the  fluidextract  is 
from  10  to  20  minims.  Each  fluidounce  of  the  extraordinary  ( ! ) 
dark-colored  cough  marvel  of  P.  D.  &  Co.  contains  40  minims 
of  the  tincture.  If  the  tincture  of  cocillana  is  10  per  cent. 
(the  average  tincture  strength)  you  can  see  that  to  get  a  min- 
imal dose  of  the  drug  you  would  have  to  take  2V&  fluidounces 
of  the  eyrup. 

"Query:  Can  we  still  hang  on  to  the  old-fashioned  cough 
mixtures  freshly  compounded  by  our  druggists  or  shall  we  put 
our  shoulders  to  the  wheel  and  help  P.  D.  &  Co.  save  the  nation 
and  make  a  few  dollars  for  the  druggist?" 

"The  secret  of  its  prompt  recognition  lay  in  its  unusual  com- 
position.". Nay;  its  prompt  recognition  lay  in  liberal  and  per- 
sistent advertising.  "It  quickly  made  a  'hit'  with  physicians," 
— because  too  many  physicians,  like  other  human  beings,  are 
susceptible  to  the  psychology  of  advertising.  Here  is  the 
"unusual  composition,"  as  given  by  the  manufacturers: 

"Tinct.  Euphorbia  pilulifera,  120  rnins. ;  Syrup  Wild  Lettuce,  120 
rains. ;  Tinct.  Cocillana,  40  mins.  ;  Syrup  Squill  Compound,  24  mins. ; 
Cascarin  (P.  D.  &  Co.),  8  grs. ;'  Heroin  hydrochloride,  8-24  gr. ; 
Menthol,  8-100  gr." 


304  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

The    following    is    a    reproduction     of    the     advertisement 
referred  to : 


A  cough  syrup  with  a  history. 


Syrup  Cocillana  Compound  established  itself  with 
the  medical  profession  in  a  single  season.  It  was  intro- 
duced in  1906.  The  secret  of  its  prompt  recognition 
lay  in  its  unusual  composition.  The  formula  showed  a 
rare  combination  of  astringents  and  sedatives.  It  quick- 
ly made  a  "hit"  with  physicians.  The  name  "Syrup 
Cocillana  Compound"  soon  began  to  appear  on  prescrip- 
tions. Today  this  agent  is  the  most  widely  prescribed  of 
all  preparations  for  cough. 

Syrup  Cocillana  Compound  is  a  profitable  prod- 
uct for  the  druggist  to  sell.  It  commands  a  good  price. 
Being  totally  unlike  the  common,  ordinary  dark-colored 
"cough  mixtures,"  it  does  not  enter  into  competition 
with  them.  Be  prepared  to  dispense  it. 

Supplied  in  pint,  5-pint  and  gallon  bottles. 

1--     PARKE,  DAVIS  &  CO. 


As  we  have  said  above,  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  should  be  proud 
of  this  "elegant  specialty."  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  better 
specimen  of  a  shotgun  prescription;  not  only  does  the  pre- 
scription contain  eight  ingredients,  but  one  of  these  ingredients 
(compound  syrup  of  squill)  itself  contains  three. 

As  our  correspondent  correctly  states,  the  drug  from  which 
the  name  (not  the  action)  of  the  preparation  is  derived  comes 
from  Bolivia  and  has  properties  similar — but  evidently  inferior 
— to  ipecac.  That  it  possesses  but  little  therapeutic  value  is 
perhaps  best  evidenced  by  the  fact  that,  in  spite  of  the  propa- 
ganda made  for  it  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  neither  the  drug  nor 
any  preparation  of  it  is  listed,  so  far  as  we  know,  by  any  other 
large  pharmaceutical  house,  with  one  exception.  Besides  cocil- 
lana  the  preparation  contains  two  other  obsolete  drugs,  wild 
lettuce  and  euphorbia  pilulifera.  The  activity  of  the  "cough 
syrup,"  it  is  needless  to  say,  depends  in  the  main  on  the  drug 
whic-li  is  more  or  loss  buried  in  the  published  formula:  heroin 
hydrochlorid.  At  one  time  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  admitted  that 
the  preparation  owed  its  chief  value  to  heroin.  In  a  letter  to 
the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  the  firm  said: 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  305 

"The  physiologic  action  of  this  syrup  is  that  which  would  be  sug- 
gested by  the  constituents.  Because  of  its  activity  the  most  pro/n 
inent  action  would  be  that  characteristic  of  heroin  hydrochlorid." 

"Without  doubt  the  important  ingredient,  from  the  point  of 
view  of  therapeutic  potency,  is  the  heroin;  and  it  is  this  drug 
doubtless,  that  makes  the  mixture  a  good  "repeater."  Syrup 
Cocillana  Compound  is  a  nostrum  sailing  under  false  colors. 
Whether  its  continued  use  is  due  to  its  mysterious,  meaningless, 
misleading  name  or  merely  to  insistent  and  persistent  adver- 
tising methods  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  is  a  question.  Neither 
explanation  is  any  credit  to  the  medical  profession  which 
tolerates  it,  or  to  the  physician  who  prescribes  it. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  15,  1913.) 


AUBERGIER'S     SYRUP     OF     LACTUCARIUM 

That  clause  in  the  federal  Food  and  Drugs  Act  which  requires 
certain  potent  drugs  to  be  declared  on  the  label  of  the  pro- 
prietary mixtures  containing  them  has  been  responsible  for 
clearing  up  many  mysteries.  Physicians  have  frequently  won- 
dered why  they  were  unable  to  obtain  from  the  syrup  of 
lactucarium,  U.  S.  P.,  the  therapeutic  results  which  they  were 
able  to  obtain  from  a  proprietary  product  known  as  Aubergier's 
Syrup  of  Lactucarium,  sold  by  Fougera  &  Co.  at  an  exorbitant 
price  and  put  up  in  "patent-medicine"  style.  The  milk-juice 
of  lettuce  once  bore  the  reputation  of  being  a  soporific  —  a 
reputation  that  has  been  artificially  maintained  largely  through 
the  effects  of  the  Aubergier  preparation.  With  the  advent  of 
the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  the  secret  of  the  soporific  effect  of  the 
Aubergier  product  was  explained — it  contains  morphin.1 

The  practical  difficulties  of  making  a  satisfactory  syrup  of 
lactucarium  are  not  realized  by  most  physicians.  To  such  the 
following  note,  presented  at  a  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Pharmaceutical  Association  by  Mr.  Louis  Emanuel,  president 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmacy  Board,  will  prove  enlightening: 

"Did  you  ever  make  a  syrup  of  lactucarium  direct  from  the 
crude  drug?  If  you  did,  shake  hands,  and  let  me  hail  you  as 
a  brother,  a  brother  pharmacist  in  fact  worthy  of  the  title. 
If  you  did  .not,  I  am  sorry  for  you;  you  have  missed  some- 
thing worth  knowing. 

"The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  tells  us  that  in  1851 
'Aubergier  cultivated  lactuca  and  poppy  on  a  large  scale,  in 
order  to  obtain  lactucarium  and  opium.  Please  note  the  latter 
for  further  reference.  In  lactucarium  he  found  lactucin. 
mannite,  resin,  cerin,  asparmid,  brown  coloring-substance  and 
oxalic  acid.'  In  1860  in  the  saire  publication,  Proctor  says: 
'The  attention  of  the  medical  practitioners  has  of  late  been 


1.  Technically  this  is  incorrect  as  the  company  had  inconspicu- 
ously stated  in  the  "literature" — not  on  the  label — that  the  prepa- 
ration contained  "extract  of  opium." 


306  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

turned  to  the  syrup  of  lactucarirm,  and  the  preparation  sold 
usually  by  apothecaries  in  this  city  is  that  known  as  Auber- 
gier's,  a  French  preparation,  made  by  dissolving  30  parts  of 
alcoholic  extract  of  lactucarium  in  500  parts  of  boiling  water, 
straining  the  liquor  and  adding  15,000  parts  of  boiling  simple 
syrup,  which  is  kept  boiling,  and  albuminous  water  added 
from  time  to  time  until  it  is  clarified.'  In  '66,  '77,  '78,  '82  and 
'84  various  writers  produced  elaborate  dissertations  on  the 
supposed  improved  methods  of  making  this  syrup,  but  not  one 
lias  had  the  temerity  of  inquiring  into  the  therapeutic  value 
of  this  preparation,  or  to  examine  the  French  preparation  to 
ascertain  whence  comes  its  vaunted  superiority. 

"The  French,  it  is  said,  are  an  impressionable  people,  but 
they  appear  to  have  a  limit;  they  do  not  take  any  chances 
on  plain  syrup  of  lactucarium.  Theirs  contains  the  added 
product,  extract  of  opium.  This  implies  a  lack  of  faith  in 
soporific  properties  of  lactucarium,  and  displays  a  recklessness 
in  regard  to  cost  and  labor. 

"The  National  Dispensatory,  fifth  edition,  says: 

"The  utility  of  retaining  lactucarium  as  an  official  medicine  is 
very  doubtful.  It  may  possibly  be  desirable  as  a  hypnotic  for  very 
impressionable  persons,  with  whom  faith  in  a  remedy  supplies  its 
want  of  intrinsic  efficiency." 

"The  official  modus  operand!  for  making  this  syrup  looks 
laborious,  but  the  innocent-looking  task  of  reducing  the  drug 
to  a  coarse  powder  is  a  revelation  to  the  uninitiated. 

"It  was  a  hot  day  in  July,  and  it  took  my  175-pound  clerk 
and  me  all  that  day  to  reduce  50  gm.  of  'lactucarium  to  a 
satisfactory  condition.  The  stuff  looked  like  old  pieces  of 
discarded  rubber  shoes,  and  it  really  appeared  to  act  like 
rubber.  After  perspiring  all  day  with  the  Pharmacopeia  and 
iron  mortar,  imagine  our  disgust,  if  you  can,  on  reading  in 
the  National  Dispensatory  the  following: 

"This  alcoholic  preparation  of  lactucarium  is  quite  as  valueless 
and  more  objectionable  than  the  syrup  of  the  same  drug. 

"Moral:  Why  pay  $6.50  a  pound  for  material  that  has  no 
medicinal  value,  and  is  so  hard  to  manipulate  as  lactucarium 
when  decrepit  rubber  shoes  are  so  cheap?  You  can  have  just 
as  much  fun  on  a  hot  summer  day  in  reducing  the  latter  to 
a  coarse  powder  with  clean  sand  in  an  iron  mortar  as  you 
can  with  the  more  expensive  material." 

One  of  the  advantages  claimed  for  ready-made  prescriptions 
over  the  made-to-order  variety,  or  even  over  pharmacopeial 
preparations,  is  that  they  are  more  elegant  in  appearance  and 
less  offensive  to  the  nostrils  and  palate.  This  is  the  common 
experience  of  physicians  who,  having  prescribed  some  ready- 
made  mixture,  wish  to  change  the  dose  of  one  of  its  constitu- 
ents and  write  a  prescription  or  ask  their  pharmacists  to 
prepare  a  similar  preparation.  The  inability  of  the  pharmacist 
to  prepare  a  preparation  oven  approaching  the  original  in 
appearance,  color  or  taste  usually  leads  to  increased  confidence 
in  the  skill  of  the  manufacturer  of  the  proprietary  and  a  cor- 
respondingly decreased  belief  in  the  pharmacist's  professional 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  307 

attainments.  But  these  conclusions,  although  natural,  are 
based  on  false  premises.  As  the  proprietary  did  not  nave  the 
composition  declared  on  the  label,  a  mixture  based  on  the 
formula  differed  more  or  less  widely  from  the  proprietary  it 
was  expected  to  resemble. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Nov.  9,  1912.) 

A  Protest   and   a  Reply 

Three  months  after  publishing  the  foregoing  we  received 
a  nine-page  communication  from  Comar  &  Co.  of  Paris,  the 
promoters  of  Aubergier's  Syrup  of  Lactucarium,  in  which 
they  took  issue  with  some  of  the  statements  in  our  article.  The 
company  claimed  that  a  possible  reason  for  the  difficulty  expe- 
rienced by  Mr.  Louis  Emmanuel  in  trying  to  make  the  Syrup 
of  Lactucarium  from  the  crude  drug  is  that  he  did  not  use 
the  same  variety  of  Lactucarium  that  it  employs.  Further- 
more, it  said  that  the  presence  of  morphin  in  the  product  was 
acknowledged  before  the  passage  of  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act. 
On  more  careful  investigation,  we  find  that  this  is  true — that 
the  presence  of  "a  certain  proportion  of  extract  of  opium" 
in  the  preparation  was  mentioned  even  before  the  federal  Food 
and  Drugs  Act  compelled  the  morphin  content  to  be  published 
on  the  label.  Technically,  then,  THE  JOURNAL  was  incorrect  in 
making  the  implication  that  the  medical  profession  was  not 
apprised  of  the  fact  that  Aubergier's  Syrup  of  Lactucarium 
contained  morphin;  practically  it  was  right.  The  information 
that  Comar  &  Co.  gave  to  physicians  was  buried  in  its  advertis- 
ing "literature"  so  that  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  not  one  phy- 
sician in  ten  thousand  knew — previous  to  the  Food  and  Drugs 
Act — that  Aubergier's  Syrup  of  Lactucarium  contained  mor- 
phin.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  9,  1912.) 


LIQUID  SULPHUR— SULPHUME 

Many  medicinal  fakes  apparently  lead  a  charmed  life.  They 
may  be  exposed,  ridiculed  and  seemingly  annihilated,  but  in 
due  time  they  are  bound  to  renew  their  existence.  As  a  type 
of  such  fakes  we  may  take  any  of  the  various  aliases  under 
which  the  venerable  Vleminckx'  solution,  after  falling  into 
disuse,  has  been  again  and  again  revived  and  rechristened. 
Vleminckx'  solution  was  introduced  years  ago  as  an  external 
application  for  skin  diseases,  and  in  recent  years  has  been 
exploited  in  slightly  varying  compounds  and  under  various 
names:  sulphume,  sulphurine,  golden  lotion,  yellow  lotion, 
liquid  sulphur  and  soluble  sulphur.  This  solution  is  essen- 
tially an  aqueous  solution  of  calcium  polysulphid  and  thio- 
sulphid.  such  as  is  obtained  when  a  mixture  of  lime  and  sul- 
phur is  boiled  in  water.  A  solution  of  this  kind  is  described 
in  the  National  Formulary  under  the  title  of  "Liquor  Calcis 


308  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

Sulphuratae."  According  to  the  National  Formulary,  5  ounces 
of  slaked  lime  and  8  ounces  of  sulphur  are  made  to  yield  32 
ounces  of  the  solution,  the  material  costing  about  8  cents. 

We  had  hoped  that  the  "liquid  sulphur"  fake  was  at  last 
dead,  but  this  hope  has  been  dispelled  by  recent  inquiries 
for  "the  formula  of  sulphume,"  and  for  information  in  regard 
to  "soluble  sulphur,"  etc. 

As  the  number  of  inquiries  indicated  a  rather  general 
interest  in  Sulphume,  the  Association  laboratory  was  requested 
to  make  an  analysis  of  the  preparation  as  exploited  to-day. 
It  reported  as  follows:. 

"A  package  of  Sulphume  recently  purchased  bears  the  fol- 
lowing legend : 

'Sulphume  for  the  skin  and  blood.  The  contents  of  this  bottle 
makes  10  strong  sulphur  baths.  Dose — Internally  :  Four  to  six 
drops  of  Sulphume  in  one-half  tumbler  of  water  3  times  daily,  one- 
half  hour  after  meals.  Price  $1.00.  Sulphume  Company,  Boston, 
U.  S.  A.' 

"Accompanying  the  bottle  is  a  booklet  entitled  'Sulphur 
and  Its  Benefits  to  Health,'  in  which  Sulphume  is  lauded  for 
its  value  in  treating  all  sorts  of  skin  diseases,  catarrh,  corns, 
bunions,  diabetes,  diphtheria,  female  weakness,  fevers,  hem- 
orrhoids, rheumatism,  prostatitis,  rickets,  etc. 

"The  preparation  as  received  in  the  laboratory  is  an  orange- 
colored  clear  liquid,  which  on  the  addition  of  acid  yields  a 
precipitate  of  sulphur,  accompanied  by  evolution  of  hydrogen 
sulphid.  The  liquid  is  alkaline  toward  litmus.  Qualitative 
tests  showed  the  presence  of  polysulphid,  thiosulphate  and 
calcium,  but  the  absence  of  sulphate  or  sulphite. 

''Quantitative  determination  showed  the  presence  of  about  1 
gm.  sulphur,  per  100  c.c.  of  Sulphume,  in  the  form  of  thiosul- 
phate, and  about  4  gm.,  per  100  c.c.,  in  the  form  of  polysul- 
phid, making  a  total  of  about  5  gm.  sulphur  per  100  c.c.  of  the 
preparation.  The  calcium  content  was  found  to  be  equal  to 
2.55  gm.  calcium  oxid  (CaO)  per  100  c.c.  of  Sulphume." 

Such  a  solution  of  calcium  sulphid  would  doubtless  be  valu- 
able for  removing  hair  from  hide  as  the  first  stage  of  its 
conversion  to  leather.  While  a  few  physicians  still  believe 
sulphids  to  be  alteratives  and  general  antiseptics  and  to  pos- 
sess some  special  value  in  the  treatment  of  skin  eruptions 
and  recurring  boils  and  even  in  acute  and  general  sepsis,  this 
foul -smelling  remedy  is  now  pretty  generally  ignored.  While 
we  are,  afraid  its  disgusting  odor  will  continue  to  be  a  strong 
"talking  point"  for  the  stuff,  let  us  hope  that  in  due  course 
of  time  the  public  will  learn  the  fallacy  of  the  old  idea  that 
anything  that  is  nasty  in  taste  or  odor  must  be  "powerfully 
good  medicine."  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  2,  1911.) 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  309 

TARTARLITHINE 

Tartarlithine  was  examined  by  two  chemists  whose  reports 
indicate  that  it  is  an  effervescing  preparation  composed 
approximately  of  20  per  cent,  of  carbonate  of  lithium  and 
about  80  per  cent,  of  tartaric  acid.  Thxis  it  is  simply  another 
of  the  hundreds  of  lithia  preparations  on  the  market  offered 
for  the  cure  of  rheumatism.  This  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
scientific  investigation  and  clinical  experience  have  demon- 
strated that  lithia  is  of  very  little  use  in  the  treatment  of  that 
disease.  While  the  advertisement  carries  the  idea  that  tartar- 
lithine  is  a  product  of  the  Tartarlithine  Company,  and  that 
McKesson  and  Bobbins  are  simply  selling  agents,  we  are 
informed  that  the  business  is  owned  by  McKesson  and  Rob- 
bins,  who  under  this  style  manufacture  a  remedy  for  rheuma- 
tism.— (Abstracted'  from  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  23, 
W0~.) 


TOXICITY    OF    THE    ARYLARSONATES 
Soamin 

A  correspondent  in  the  British  Medical  Journal  (March  5, 
1910,  p.  599)  calls  attention  to  the  dangers  of  the  arylarson- 
ates,  "Orsudan"  and  "Soamin."  The  latter  is  probably  better 
known  to  American  readers  under  the  earlier  name  "Atoxyl," 
Atoxyl  and  Soamin  differing  only  in  the  number  of  molecules 
of  water  of  crystallization.  The  correspondent  states  that 
the  success  which  attended  the  use  of  these  preparations  in  a 
series  of  twelve  cases  of  syphilis  induced  him  to  continue  it 
until  an  untoward  occurrence  compelled  him  to  abandon  it 
and  to  regret  that  he  had  ever  advocated  it.  The  untoward 
occurrence  was  blindness  from  double  optic  atrophy  after  ten 
injections  of  Orsudan.  He  says  further: 

"A  second  case  has  recently  come  under  my  notice  in  which 
a  syphilitic  patient  also  became  blind  after  a  course  of  about 
fifteen  injections  of  5  grains  of  Soamin  ( Burroughs^  Wellcome 
&  Co.).  A  third  case  is  that  of  an  elderly  patient,  with 
marked  arterial  degeneration,  who  was  put  on  a  course  of 
injection  of  Soamin  (Burroughs,  Wellcome  &  Co.)  for  sciatica, 
but  who  after  the  introduction  of  about  60  grains  also  met 
with  a  similar  fate.  I  am  also  cognizant  of  a  fourth  case,  in 
which  a  patient  suffering  from  lymphadenoma  was  treated 
with  Soamin  (Burroughs,  Wellcome  &  Co.),  and  became  totally 
blind. 

"It  is  inexpedient  to  enter  more  fully  into  the  history  of 
these  cases,  and  I  should  not  have  written  this  communication 
had  not  \  recently  received  from  Messrs.  Burroughs,  Wellcome 
&  Co.  a  pamphlet  commending  their  preparations,  Soamin  and 
Orsudan,  and  reproducing  among  others  the  cases  I  originally 
described.  In  this  pamphlet  a  casual  mention  is  made  of  the 
fact  that  signs  of  intolerance  had  been  met  with  after  the  use 
of  Soamin,  such  as  'visual  disturbances,  nausea,  vomiting,  gas- 
tric pains,  dermatitis,  nervousness,  and  insomnia,'  and  that 


310  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

'the  appearance  of  any  of  the  above  symptoms  should  be  a 
signal  for  withholding  the  drug.'  This  is  the  only  warning 
note  in  this  pamphlet,  though  the  manufacturers,  through  one 
of  their  representatives,  had  been  informed  by  me  of  one  case 
of  total  and  irremediable  blindness  which  had  occurred  after 
the  use  of  Orsudan,  and  knew  that  I  had  abandoned  the  treat- 
ment on  that  account. 

"Further,  in  the  British  Medical  Journal,  Jan.  22,  1910, 
Drs.  Lundie  and  Blaikie  describe  a  case  of  total  blindness  fol- 
lowing on  a  course  of  Soamin  and  the  possibility  of  causing 
optic  atrophy  by  the  use  of  that  substance  is  alluded  to.  In 
the  Lancet,  ii,  1909,  p.  1196,  Dr.  Bagshawe  writes: 

"  'The  arsanilates,  and  especially  Atoxyl,  are  not  without  their 
dangers  ;  there  are  many  recorded  cases  of  blindness  following 
the  use  of  Atoxyl  ...  It  seems  that  loss  of  vision  is  less 
frequent,  if  it  occurs  at  all,  after  the  use  of  Soamin,  which  has 
of  course  a  chemical  formula  identical  with  Atoxyl.' 

"There  was,  therefore,  in  the  medical  journals  some  indica- 
tion that  these  drugs  were  not  quite  so  innocent  as  they  had 
been  depicted.  In  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  I  suppose  that 
total  and  incurable  blindness  may  be  termed  a  'visual  distur- 
bance,' and  my  only  object  in  writing  is  to  point  out  to  your 
readers  the  possible  gravity  of  that  'visual  disturbance'  and 
to  put  them  on  their  guard  against  such  a  disastrous  occur- 
rence." 

The  history  of  the  commercial  exploitation  of  "Atoxyl"  and 
"Soamin"  cannot  be  viewed  by  the  physician  with  any  satis- 
faction; yet  it  is  unfortunately  being  repeated  almost  daily. 
A  writer1  in  The  Journal,  Aug.  14,  1909,  p.  497,  selected  this 
history  as  an  example  of  the  unsatisfactory  conditions  pre- 
vailing in  the  introduction  of  new  drugs.  To  quote  from  this 
article : 

"That  physicians  have  been  content  and  have  received  but 
half-truths  concerning  important  matters  is  too  well  known 
to  need  much  discussion.  One  illustration  of  recent  date  may, 
however,  be  given.  Reference  has  already  been  made  to  a 
class  of  organic  arsenic  compounds  which  are  attracting  much 
attention. '  As  they  seem  destined  to  attract  still  more  interest 
in  the  future,  and  as  many  new  compounds  of  the  same  class 
are  being  investigated,  it  was  especially  desirable  that  the 
first  information  given  concerning  them  should  be  correct  and 
complete.  Yet  the  very  first  one,  under  the  name  Atoxyl,  was 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  physician  with  an  incorrect 
statement  even  as  to  its  composition.  Professor  Puckner,  sec- 
retary of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry,  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  to  discover  the  discrepancies  between  the 
manufacturer's  statement  and  the  truth.  His  results  were 
soon  confirmed  by  Ehrlich." 

"New  names  for  old  drugs  are  often  introduced  in  a  manner 
to  lead  the  physician  to  suppose  that  a  new  drug  is  being 
introduced.  For  example,  I  recently  received  a  circular  on 
'Soamin'  from  a  leading  English  firm.  In  this  it  is  stated 

1.  Hunt,  Reid:  "What  the  Individual  Physician  Can  Do  to 
Improve  the  Materia  Medica." 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  311 

that  'the  arylarsonate,  "Soamin,"  was  first  introduced  at  the 
end  of  1907,'  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  circular  to  indicate 
that  the  same  substance  had  been  introduced  by  another  firm 
several  years  previously  under  the  name  'Atoxyl,'  or  that  the 
compound  itself  had  been  made  in  1863  by  Bechamp.  A  little 
further  on  in  this  circular  I  read:  "The  toxic  symptoms 
noticed  by  continental  physicians  when  using  other  arylarson- 
ates  have  not  been  observed  with  Soamin.'  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  most  of  the  toxic  symptoms  noticed  by  continental  writers 
were  due  to  the  same  substance  but  under  a  different  name." 

There  are  certain  points  of  resemblance  between  this  his- 
tory and  that  of  the  blindness  from  wood  alcohol  which 
shocked  the  public  a  few  years  ago.  Certain  dealers  in  wood 
alcohol  represented  that  their  product  was  harmless  on 
account  of  its  purity  and  a  number  of  manufacturers  were  per- 
suaded to  use  it,  with  most  disastrous  consequences  not  only 
to  many  innocent  parties  who  lost  their  lives  or  sight  but  to 
themselves.  The  medical  profession  is  now  in  somewhat  the 
position  of  these  manufacturers:  dealers  in  all  sorts  of  new 
drugs  are  representing  that  their  purified  products  are  harm- 
less and  the  consequences  are  too  often  similar  to  those 
described  above. 

The  physician  is  learning  (reluctantly  and  regretfully,  for 
he  likes  to  feel  that  the  manufacturers  who  express  so  much 
solicitude  for  his  success  in  practice  are  dealing  with  him 
perfectly  frankly)  that  the  only  safe  way  is  to  be  profoundly 
skeptical  of  the  statements  of  those  who  have  something  to 
sell;  unfortunately  this  skepticism  is  necessary  in  regard  to 
the  products  of  the  "great  manufacturing  houses"  and  some 
of  the  German  professors  as  well  as  in  regard  to  many  of  the 
humbler  proprietaries. 

It  is  probably  a  utopian  dream  but  we  still  hope  that  a  time 
will  come  when  the  contributors  to  the  materia  medica  will 
come  from  well  endowed  medical  schools  and  hospitals. — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  16,  1910.) 

Arsacetin 

Dr.  O.  H.  Benker,  St.  Louis,  writes :  "The  article  on  Soamin 
in  THE  JOUBNAL,  April  16,  1910,  p.  1323,  brings  to  my  atten- 
tion sodium  p-acetylaminophenyl  arsonate  (Arsacetin)  manu- 
factured by  Farbwerke  vorm.  Meister  Lucius  &  Bruening.. 
Hoeehst,  a.M.,  Germany.  The  literature  from  the  manufac- 
turer cites  such  authors  as  Neisser  using  it  for  subcutaneous 
applications  in  9  grain  doses,  up  to  20  injections.  Kindly 
state  whether  this  drug  has  produced  any  blindness  or  whether 
it  is  free  from  such  dangers." 

As  the  use  of  Atoxyl  showed  that  it  was  liable  to  produce 
blindness,  an  attempt  was  made  to  secure  a  less  poisonous 
product  by  introducing  other  radicles  in  place  of  hydrogen  in 
the  amino  group.  Arsacetin  was  one  of  these  which  appeared 
likely  to  be  less  liable  to  produce  unfavorable  results  than 
Atoxyl.  It  differs  from  Atoxyl  by  the  introduction  of  the 
acetyl  radicle  into  the  amino  group  of  atoxyl,  in  other  words, 


312  PROPAGANDA     FOR     UKWHtM 

it  is  acetyl-atoxyl.  Experiments  on  animals  showed  it  to  bu 
less  poisonous  than  Atoxyl,  thus  the  experiments  of  Blumen- 
thal,  (Med.  Klin.,  Nov.  1,  1908,  p.  1687)  show  that  rabbits 
which  would  succumb  to  a  dose  of  0.4  to  0.5  gm.  of  Atoxyl, 
bore  doses  of  0.6  to  0.8  gm.  of  acetyl-atoxyl  (Arsacetin).  It 
is  to  be  noted  that  these  doses  show  relatively  less  toxicity 
for  Arsacetin  but  the  difference  does  not  seem  to  be  very 
great.  Arsacetin  has  now  been  used  in  a  considerable  number 
of  cases  and  it  appears  that  it  has  given  rise  to  blindness  in 
such  a  number  of  cases  that  it  does  not  seem  likely  that  it 
will  fulfil  the  expectations  of  its  originator  by  proving  much 
less  toxic  than  Atoxyl.  Reute  (Milnchen.  med.  Wchnschr., 
April  6,  1909,  p.  718)  reports  a  case  of  atrophy  of  the  optic 
nerve  after  the  use  of  3.6  gm.  of  Arsacetin. 

J.  Iversen  (Munchen.  med.  Wchnschr.,  Aug.  31,  1909,  p. 
1785)  used  Arsacetin  in  148  cases  of  relapsing  fever,  in  one  of 
which  permanent  blindness  due  to  toxic  retro-bulbar  neuritis 
occurred.  The  patient  received  0.7  gm.  and  after  seven  days 
0.5  gm.  of  Arsacetin.  Paderstein  (Berl.  klin.  Wchnschr.,  May 
31,  1909,  p.  1023)  reports  the  observation  of  H.  Lehmann,  who 
administered  Atoxyl  to  a  patient  to  the  extent  of  3.4  gm. 
without  benefit.  After  some  months  six  injections  of  Arsace- 
tin, amounting  in  all  to  1.5  gm.  were  given,  and  soon  after 
this  complete  blindness  suddenly  occurred.  F.  Hammes 
(Deutsch.  med.  Wchnschr.,  Feb.  10,  1910,  p.  267)  reports  a 
case  in  which  he  gave  in  eight  doses  0.8  gm.  of  Arsacetin, 
which  was  followed  by  complete  blindness  and  finally  by 
death;  the  death,  however,  was  probably  not  due  entirely  to 
the  Arsacetin.  He  refers  also  to  the  report  of  Eckard 
(Archiv  f.  Shiffsund  Tropenhygiene,  xiii,  16),  who  saw  3  cases 
of  blindness  among  134  cases  of  sleeping  sickness  treated  with 
Arsacetin. 

There  are  therefore  in  the  literature  reports  of  7  cases  in 
which  blindness  was  undoubtedly  due  to  this  remedy.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  experiments  of  Blumenthal  with 
various  derivatives  of  Atoxyl  in  which  substitutions  were 
made  in  the  amino  group  showed  no  constant  reduction  of 
toxicity.  Blumenthal  suggests  that  a  change  in  the  arsenic 
group  may  cause  an  enormous  increase  in  the  toxicity.  A 
para-aminophenyl  arsenous  oxid  obtained  by  the  reduction  of 
atoxyl  produced  death  in  a  rabbit  weighing  2,800  gm.  in  the 
small  dose  of  0.02  gm.  It  is  quite  possible  that  the  occasional 
instances  of  severe  poisoning  by  Atoxyl  and  Arsacetin  are  due 
to  reduction  in  the  system  which  the  physician  can  neither 
foresee  nor  control. 

G.  Meszczersky  (Vrach.  Gas.,  1909,  No.  27)  reports  unfavor- 
able results  in  the  treatment  of  syphilis  by  Arsacetin  and 
remarks  on  the  toxic  action  of  the  kidneys.  In  view  of  the 
foregoing  it  is  evident  that  the  greatest  caution  should  be 
exercised  in  using  a  remedy  capable  of  producing  such  serious 
side  results.  In  this  connection  the  conclusions  of  Hammes 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  313 

are  worth  quoting:  "Finally  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  in 
Arsacetin  we  have  made  a  step  forward  in  a  path  that  prom- 
ises marked  success,  but  for  general  use  this  method  is  not  yet 
applicable.  As  far  as  the  application  of  this  new  preparation 
of  arsenic  in  internal  medicine,  it  is  for  the  present  not  suited 
to  displace  the  forms  of  arsenic  previously  used  and  to  influ- 
ence our  previous  treatment.  The  apparent  benefits  occasion- 
ally obtained  in  a  small  series  of  observations  are  abundantly 
counterbalanced  by  the  damage  which  under  some  circum- 
stances will  quite  overcome  all  of  the  satisfaction  received 
from  success  obtained  in  a  probably  unexpected  way.  Espe- 
cially for  physicians  in  practice  to  whom  other  considerations 
are  of  importance  in  addition  to  the  general  ethical  viewpoint 
of  our  science,  an  attitude  of  marked  conservatism  toward  the 
remedies  of  this  group  is  decidedly  to  be  recommended." 

In  the  foregoing  no  criticism  is  intended  on  the  method  of 
introduction  of  Arsacetin.  The  remedy  has  been  put  before 
the  profession  with  very  conservative  statements  and  with  an 
evident  desire  to  supply  a  less  dangerous  preparation  than 
atoxyl.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  May  7,  1910.) 


TUBERCULOIDS 

The  following  card  is  sent  out  to  the  public  by  the  Colum- 
bus Pharmacal  Company,  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  a  copy  was 
sent  to  THE  JOUBNAL  office  bv  Dr.  N.  S.  Davis: 


PHTHISIS     PULMONALIS    CURABLE 

By  the  Germicidal,  Antiseptic  (non-irritating),  Alterative, 
Reconstructive  and  Restorative  Properties  of  TUBERCULOIDS 
TREATMENT  for  TUBERCULOSIS.  The  medicinal  factor  being 
TUBERCULOIDS  TABLETS,  a  chemical  production  proven  effica- 
cious by  bacteriological  tests,  substantiated  by  practical  use 
by  physicians  under  all  kinds  of  climatic  and  systemic  con- 
ditions. Full  size  package  ($1.50  size,  200  tablets)  fur- 
nished free  to  accredited  practicing  physicians  -on  return 
of  the  attached  card.  Ample  information  furnished  by 
personal  letter  for  intelligent  administration.  Originated 
and  manufactured  only  by  COLUMBUS  PHARMACAL  COMPANY, 
COLUMBUS,  OHIO.  Serial  No.  3219,  Guaranteed  under  the 
Food  and  Drugs  Act,  June  30,  1906. 


Some  of  the  literature  and  a  sample  of  the  preparation  were 
submitted  to  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  Association  and 
the  chemists  were  asked  for  an  opinion  and  a  report.  The 
chemists  declared  that  the  statements  made  were  typical  of 
those  made  for  the  average  "patent  medicine."  While  pre- 
tending to  give  exact  information  regarding  the  composition 
of  the  remedy,  the  literature  contains  only  mystifying  phrases. 
The  formulas  given  are  criticised,  and  it  is  stated  that  they 
are  evidently  intended  to  mislead.  Apparently,  the  tablets 
contain  bismuth,  possibly  a  nitrate  of  bismuth,  a  compound  of 
guaiacol  and  a  salt  of  cinnamic  acid.  There  is  no  class  of 


314 


patients  whom  the  nostrum  maker  can  influence  more  easily 
than  consumptives;  they  are  always  hopeful  and  ever  ready  to 
praise  any  remedy  they  happen  to  use.  This  is  undoubtedly 
the  reason  why  the  "consumption  cure"  promoters  succeed  in 
getting  so  many  testimonials.  Attention  is  directed  to  the  fact 
that  the  statement  "guaranteed  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act" 
does  not  carry  with  it  any  guarantee  of  the  purity  of  the 
preparation  or  of  its  efficacy  in  the  class  of  cases  for  the  cure 
of  which  it  is  advertised. — (Abstracted  from  The  Journal  A. 
M.  A.,  Feb.  29,  1908.,  

TYREE'S  ANTISEPTIC  POWDER* 
Now   Advertised  Direct   to   the   Public   as   the   "Best 

Preventative  Known" 

When  the  history  of  the  "patent  medicine"  business  comes 
to  be  written  impartially  and  fairly,  it  will  be  realized  that 
we,  the  medical  profession,  have  been  in  no  small  degree 


n  Oil  of -Pine, 
n  sealed  half-ounce  vials  in  wocyJen  car- 
tons  bear-in 

etnlcal  Co..  Cine 


QN'T  USE  TABLETS 


Tyre 
A  n  1 1  septio 
wder 


chloride  tablets, 
carbolic  acid,  per- 
oxide of  hydrogen, 
etc.  A  26c  box  makes 
two  gallons,  standard 
solution.  All  druggists. 
Booklet  &  sample  frfe*. 


•  Advertisement  from  a  newspaper — Tyrce's  Powder  as  a  "Patent 
Medicine"  of  the  "Preventive"  Type. 

responsible  for  its  growth.  Not  a  few  widely  advertised  nos- 
trums owe  their  commercial  success  solely  to  the  ill  considered 
use  accorded  them  by  physicians,  to  whom  they  were  first 
exploited.  As  a  well-known  and  brilliant  advertising  man 
once  said: 

*  s<>«>  also  Index. 


MIWI-:III.A\KOUK    NOSTRUMS 


315 


"The  patent  medicine  of  the  future  is  one  that  will  be  advertised 
only  to  doctors.  Some  of  the  most  profitable  remedies  of  the  present 
time  are  of  this  class.  They  are  called  proprietary  remedies.  The 
general  public  never  hears  of  them  through  the  daily  press.  All 
their  publicity  is  secured  through  the  medical  press,  by  means  of 
the  manufacturer's  literature,  sometimes,  gotten  out  in  the  shape 
of  a  medical  journal,  and  through  samples  to  doctors  .  .  .  The 
medical  papers  will  reap  the  harvest  and  the  physician  himself, 
always  so  loud  in  the  denunciation  of  'patent  medicines,'  will  be  the 
most  important  medium  of  advertising'  at  the  command  of  the  pro- 
prietary manufacturer.  In  fact,  he  is  that  to-day." 

Of  the  conditions  here  described  probably  no  better  example 
can  be  found  than  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder.  For  years  this 
preparation  was  advertised  to  the  medical  profession  under 
claims  that  were  fraudulent  as  to  both  composition  and 
therapeutic  effect.  Analyses  published  in  THE  JOURNAL1  proved 
that  the  formula  given  out  by  Tyree  was  absolutely  false  and 
that  the  preparation  was,  essentially,  nothing  but  a  simple 
mixture  of  sulphate  of  zinc  and  boric  acid. 


Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder,  is,  in  its  own  proper  form,  both     J 
safe  and' effective.     It  is  not  a  dangerous  or  poisonous  agent.     I 
It  never  kills  or  damages  healthy  tissue ;  is  neither  an  eschar-     , 
otic  nor  a  coagulant;  but  it  is  a  reliable  antiseptic,  inhibiting 
the    pernicious    activity    of    pathogenic    germs,    preventing 
**  infection,  and  promoting  the  healthful  condition  of  the  most 
delicate  tissues.     It  is  an  ideal  antiseptic  for  the  physician, 
the  surgeon,  and  the  patient,  more  especially  in  the  treatment 
of   diseased   conditions   of   the   geni to-urinary   organs,  both 
male  and  female,  whether  of  a  catarrhal  or  infected  nature. 
Use  from  two  to  three  teaspoonfuls  in  one  quart  of  water  three 
or  four  times  a  day. 


Boric  Acid 

Zinc  Sulphate  (dry) 
•    tisept* 


(Salicylic  Acid,  Carbolic  Acid,  Me 

J.  S.  TYREE,  Chemist 


nd  Eucalyptol.) 

Washington,  D.  C. 


.75.57  Per  Cent. 
.17.92 
i.35 


Advertisement  from  Medical  Journal — Tyree's  Powder  as  a 
Highly  Respectable  "Ethical  Proprietary." 

From  the  rirst  it  would  seem,  that  the  manufacturers  of 
this  mixture  had  for  their  objective  point  that  period  when, 
thanks  to  the  \ise  of  the  nostrum  by  physicians,  it  would  be 
widely  purchased  by  the  public.  Lavish  advertising  was  done 
in  medical  journals  and  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder  gained 


1.   Oct.  20,  1906,  and  May  18,  1007 


316  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

admission  to  the  pages  of  even  those  journals  which  reqim-ed 
the  publication  of  a  "formula"— for  a  formula  was  forth- 
coming. THE  JOURNAL  itself,  until  seven  years  ago,  carried 
the  advertisements  with  a  "formula"  until  chemical  examina- 
tion proved  the  falsity  of  the  formula,  and  of  the  therapeutic 
slaims  made  for  the  product.  The  medical  profession  in  its 
turn  prescribed  the  nostrum  and  the  "original  package" 
scheme  did  the  rest. 

Now,  it  seems,  Tyree  considers  his  preparation  so  well 
known  that  he  can  be  independent  either  of  the  assistance  of 
the  physician  or  of  his  good-will.  For  Tyree's  powder  now 
goes  to  the  public  direct  and  newspaper  readers  find  it  adver- 
tised as: 

'Ideal  for  douche." 
'Unequalled  as  a  douche." 
'Best  preventative  known." 
'Unequalled  as  a  preventative." 
'Has  no  equal  as  a  preventative." 

And  the  following,  whose  very  truth  must  bring  the  blush 
of  shame  to  all  physicians  who  have  the  interest  of  scientific 
medicine  at  heart: 

"Prescribed  by  physicians  all  over  the  world  for  twenty-one  years." 

"Ask  your  doctor  or  send  for  booklet." 

"Used  'by  doctors  for  the  last  twenty-one  years." 

"One  of  the  highest  tributes  paid  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder  is  the 
fact  that  the  most  successful  physicians  have  been  using  it  for  the 
last  twenty-one  years." 

Not  that  Tyree  has  entirely  forsaken  the  medical  journals, 
although  he  seems  to  be  dropping  them  one  by  one.  At  the 
beginning  of  this  year  at  least  fifteen  medical  journals  were- 
carrying  the  Tyree  advertisement;  by  March  the  number  had 
fallen  to  seven,  while  in  June  the  only  journals  carrying  it 
were : 

Medical  Record  Chicago  Medical  Recorder 

American  Journal  of  Obstetrics        Pacific  Medical  Journal 

Those  who  answer  the  newspaper  advertisements  receive  a 
free  sample  of  the  powder  and  several  leafllets  and  circulars 
giving  the  various  uses  (?)  of  the  nostrum.  Incidentally 
these  leaflets  advertise,  in  addition,  Tyree's  "Elixir  Buchu  and 
Hyoscyamus  Comp.,"  which  is  recommended,  in  various  com- 
binations, for  such  conditions  as  acute  nephritis,  epilepsy, 
neurasthenia,  gonorrhea  and  delirium  tremens. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  claim  that  is  made  in  the  newspaper 
advertisements  that  Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder  is  the  "bost 
preventative"  known,  it  is  interesting  to  see  what  Tyree  has 
to  say  to  those  druggists  whom  he  offers  to  supply  with  cir- 
culars for  free  distribution: 

"As  these  circulars  deal  with  the  care  of  rubber  goods,  for  both 
medicinal  and  toilet  purposes,  they  are  of  great  value  to  the  cus- 
tomer and  will  be  retained  for  further  reference.  They  are  boosters 
for  your  rubber  goods  sales,  too." 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  317 

Tliat  a  nostrum  of  this  sort  should  go  to  the  public  is  rot 
surprising,  but  that  it  should  have  reached  the  public  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  medical  profession  is  a  serious 
reflection  on  the  judgment  of  physicians.  But  the  incident  has 
a  bright  side.  That  the  exploiters  of  this  nostrum  no  longer 
find  it  profitable  to  use  medical  journals  as  a  means  of  get- 
ting their  stuff  to  the  public  but  must  needs  use  the  more 
expensive  newspaper  advertising,  is  cause  for  optimism.  It 
means  that  physicians  are  no  longer  prescribing,  indiscrimi- 
nately, proprietary  products  and  that  they  are  refusing  to  be, 
what  they  have  been  in  the  past,  the  unpaid  distributing 
agents  for  nostrum  venders. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Aug.  2',,  1912.) 


VAPO-CRESOLENE 

Vapo-Cresolene  has  been  examined  in  the  American  Medical 
Association's  laboratory  and  the  chemists'  report  follows: 

According  to  the  statements  on  the  trade  package,  Vapo- 
Cresolene  "is  a  product  of  coal-tar  possessing  far  greater 
power  than  carbolic  acid  in  destroying  germs  of  disease."  It 
is  recommended  as  a  remedy  for  a  number  of  diseases, 
including  croup,  catarrh  and  diphtheria.  According  to  the 
manufacturers,  it  should  be  used  only  in  "the  Cresolene  vapor- 
izer," which  makes  it  "unequaled  for  the  disinfection  of  sick 
rooms"  and  the  "safest  and  simplest  method  of  destroying 
infection  and  purifying  the  air."  From  the  examination  we 
conclude  that  Vapo-Cresolene  is  essentially  cresol  and  corre- 
sponds in  every  respect  to  cresol  U.  S.  P.  (Physician's  Man- 
ual, page  36). 

This  report  indicates  that  Vapo-Cresolene  is  a  member  of 
that  class  of  proprietaries  in  which  an  ordinary  product  is 
endowed,  by  the  manufacturer,  with  extraordinary  virtues. 
The  type  is  so  common  and  has  been  referred  to  so  frequently 
that  but  for  the  dangers  attendant  on  the  inhalation  of  any 
of  the  phenols,  this  particular  product  need  not  have  been 
mentioned. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  J,,  1908.) 


VASOGEN  AND  IODOVASOGEN 

Another    Case   in   Which    Independent    Analyses    and    Manu- 
facturers' Labels  Disagree 

Vasogen,  a  product  of  Pearson  &  Company,  Hamburg,  Ger- 
many, has  been  put  on  the  market  under  the  various  desig- 
nations, "oxygenated  vaseline,"  "water-soluble  hydrocarbon" 
and  "oxygenated  hydrocarbon."  The  manufacturers,  and  also 
their  American  agents.  Lehn  &  Fink,  claim  that  by  a  special 
process  the  apparent  impossibility  of  saponifying  petrolatum 
has  been  overcome  with  Vasogen  as  the  result.  Disinterested 


318  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFOh'M 

chemists  who  have  analyzed  Vasogen  find  that  the  product 
consists  essentially  of  an  ammonium  soap  and  petrolatum — 
practically  an  ammonia  liniment  mixed  with  petrolatum. 

Just  as  petrolatum  under  its  various  trade  names  was  at 
one  time  recommended  as  a  universal  ointment  base,  so  vaso- 
gen  is  recommended  promiscuously  as  a  vehicle  for  remedies 
applied  externally  and  even  for  internal  medication — needless 
to  say  in  many  cases  in  which  it  is  directly  contra-indicated. 

lodovasogen,  recommended  for  external  application  as  a 
substitute  for  tincture  of  iodin,  was  examined  by  Zernik 
in  1905,  who  found  that  the  iodin  existed  not  as  a  free 
iodin,  but  chiefly  as  ammonium  iodid.  The  therapeutic  char- 
acter of  the  preparation  is  thus  entirely  different  from  that 
to  be  inferred  from  the  labels  and  elsewhere,  since  the  counter- 
irritant  effects  of  free  iodin  are  of  course  absent  in  am- 
monium iodid.  Pearson  &  Co.  now  claim  that  when  Zernik's 
findings  were  published  they  immediately  modified  their  state- 
ments on  the  label  in  accordance  with  the  truth.  This  is  de- 
nied by  Dr.  Lungwitz,  the  editor  of  the  Therapeutische  Rund- 
schau (Apotheker  Zeitung,  1908,  p.  900),  who  vigorously  crit- 
icizes the  misrepresentation  made  by  Pearson  &  Co.  in  regard 
to  lodovasogen.  He  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that,  while 
Zernick's  results  were  published  over  three  years  ago,  the 
labels  which  are  in  use  to-day  still  bear  the  statement  that 
lodovasogen  consists  of  Vasogen  90  parts  and  resublimed 
iodin  10  parts,  and  Vasogen  94  parts  and  resublimed  iodin  6 
parts,  respectively. 

As  lodovasogen  and  Vasogen  in  various  combinations,  are 
being  advertised  to  the  physicians  in  the  United  States,  the 
above  information  from  our  German  exchanges  is  worthy  of 
consideration. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  13,  1909.) 


ZYMOTOID 

A  Fraud  of  the  Liquozone-Oxytonic-Septicide  Type 
Dr.  Arnold's  Zymotoid,  a  nostrum  manufactured  by  Arnold's 
Zymotoid  Company,  Rockford,  111.,  is  claimed  to  be  an  "anti- 
septic, germicide  and  antiphlogistic"  which  "has  absolutely  no 
peer  in  medicine."  According  to  the  statements  of  the  manu- 
facturer, Zymotoid  is  "successfully  employed  not  only  as  an 
external  dressing  on  all  wounded  and  diseased  surfaces,  but 
in  all  zymotic  conditions  wherein  a  reliable  antiseptic  and 
germicide  is  needed  internally."  And  in  telling  physicians  of 
the  great  value  of  Zymotoid  the  company  says: 

"We  assured  them  that  if  they  would  simply  place  Zymotoid 
'next'  to  any  wounded  surface — and  nothing  else — they  would  have 
no  inflammation,  no  suppuration,  no  infection  or  blood  poison.  Its 
prompt  use  in  all  cases  where  such  trouble  arises  gives  immodialo 
and  certain  relief." 


MISCELLANEOUS     NOSTRUMS  319 

This  is  a  large  contract  to  be  undertaken  by  Zyinotoid — or 
any  other  preparation — which,  as  will  be  shown,  consists 
principally  of  boric  acid  and  water.  The  company  also 
appends  to  its  announcement  concerning  Zymotoid  a  number 
of  the  usual  testimonials  and  a  lot  of  alleged  "case  reports." 

Zymotoid  seems  to  be  exploited  principally  by  circulars 
addressed  to  physicians  and  by  agents  who  attempt  to  sell 
it  to  physicians.  They  also  try  to  work  factories  and  other 
large  employers  of  labor.  In  their  circular  to  physicians 
they  claim  that  "Zymotoid  is  strictly  ethical."  And  "we 
publish  its  composition."  The  composition  given  is:  "sulphur, 
niter,  cinnamon  and  boric  acid  in  gaseous  solution."  It  is 
also  claimed  to  be  "a  chemical  compound — not  a  mixture — 
which  is  wholly  non-toxic  and  can  be  used  as  freely  as 
desired  internally  absolutely  without  harm  to  the  smallest 
child."  On  the  label  of  the  Zymotoid  package  is  the  following: 

"Zymotoid  is  a  concentrated  chemical  compound  consisting  of  the 
solids  and  gases  of  sulphur,  potassium  nitrate,  cinnamon  and  carbon 
held  in  a  solution  of  boric  acid." 

A  specimen  of  Zymotoid  was  examined  by  our  chemists  and 
their  report  follows.  As  will  be  seen,  it  is  simply  another 
fraud  of  the  Liquozone-Oxytonic-Septicide  type. 

LABORATORY    REPORT    ON    ZYMOTOID 

Zymotoid  is  a  pale  yellow  liquid  having  a  strong  odor  like 
sulphur  dioxid.  No  odor  suggestive  of  cinnamon  was  observed 
even  after  the  sulphur  dioxid  had  been  fixed  by  the  addition 
of  an  alkali.  Qualitative  tests  indicated  the  presence  of  boric 
acid,  sulphuric  acid,  sulphur  dioxid  and  traces  each,  of  a 
nitrate,  potassium  and  some  unidentified  organic  matter. 
Alkaloids,  cinnamic  acid,  glycerin  and  soaps  were  absent. 
From  the  results  of  the  quantitative  examination  it  is  con- 
cluded that  the  composition  of  Zymotoid  is  essentially  as 
follows  i1 

Boric  acid   (H3BO3) 0.637  gm. 

Sulphur  dioxid   (SO.) 0.129  gm. 

Sulphuric  acid   (H2SO<) 0.048  gm. 

Potassium  nitrate  trace 

Unidentified  organic  matter trace 

Water   (by  difference)  to  make 100  c.c. 

The  analysis  shows  that  but  for  the  presence  of  boric  acid 
the  composition  of  Zymotoid  is  similar  to  other  fraudulent 
"microbe  killers"  which  have  been  exploited  in  recent  years 
and  of  which  some  have  been  declared  misbranded  by  the  fed- 
eral government.  For  example,  "Radam's  Microbe  Killer"2  was 
found  by  the  federal  chemists  to  be  composed  of  water,  con- 
taining small  quantities  of  sulphur  dioxid  and  sulphuric  acid. 
"Liquozone,"  another  nostrum  which  was  widely  exploited  a 

1.  Details  of  the  analysis  will  appear  in  the  annual   reports  of 
the  Chemical   laboratory. 

2.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  July  16.  1910,  p.  235. 


320  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

few  years  ago,  is  said  to  have  a  similar  composition.3  Accord- 
ing to  an  analysis  made  at  the  North  Dakota  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,4  "Oxytonic"  has  a  similar  composition. 
The  nostrum  "Septicide,"  was  found  by  the  federal  chemists 
to  be  composed  of  water  with  small  quantities  of  sulphur 
dioxid,  sulphuric  acid  and  a  trace  of  a  nitrate.  (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  April  6,  1912.) 


VIBURNUM     COMPOUND— AND     OTHER     NOSTRUMS 
A  number   of   drugs  have   some   reputation   for   therapeutic 
value   without    there   being   any    particular    evidence   to    sub- 
stantiate the  claims.     Viburnum,  concerning  which  we  recently 
received  the  following  letter,  is  one  of  these  drugs: 

To  the  Editor: — Have  you  made  an  analysis  of  Viburnum  Com- 
pound ?  Extravagant  claims  are  being  made  for  it  and  I  cannot 
put  my  hand  on  any  data.  A  patient  has  asked  me  concerning  it 
and  I  wish  to  advise  her  honestly.  I  do  not  know  but  that  there 
may  be  several  "viburnum  compounds."  I  rarely  use  any  of  these 
"put-up"  preparations,  and  hence  know  but  little  about  them. 
A.  J.  HESSER,  M.D.,  Pittsburgh,  1'a. 

No  analysis  of  Hayden's  Viburnum  Compound,  to  which  our 
correspondent  refers,  has  been  made  in  the  Association  labora- 
tory. According  to  advertising  circulars,  the  preparation  con- 
tains American  skullcap  (Scutellaria  lateriflora),  cramp-bark 
(Viburnum  opulus)  and  wild  yam  (Dioscorea  villosa).  Since 
these  drugs  contain  no  well-defined  therapeutically  active 
ingredients,  an  analysis  of  the  preparation  would  necessarily 
be  unsatisfactory. 

A  number  of  drugs  have  in  some  way  obtained  a  reputa- 
tion as  being  valuable  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  women, 
without  their  therapeutic  claims  ever  having  been  proved. 
It  is  said  that  some  were  used  by  the  aborigines  for  such 
.affections  and  we  find  a  considerable  number  of  them  com- 
bined in  various  nostrums  (sometimes  with  therapeutically 
active  drugs)  and  exploited  for  the  cure  of  female  disorders. 
under  most  extravagant  and  usually  absurd  claims.  Thus 
"Pierce's  Favorite  Prescription"  is  advertised  as  containing 
black  cohosh,  blue  cohosh,  goldenseal,  lady's-slipper  and 
false  unicorn-root;  "Dioviburnia"  (Dios  Chemical  Co.)  as  con- 
taining American  skullcap,  cramp-bark,  wild  yam,  blue  cohosh, 
black  haw,  star-grass,  trailing  arbutus  and  false  unicorn-root; 
"Viburnumal-''  (Louisville  Pharmacal  Works)  as  containing 
American  skullcap,  cramp-bark,  wild  yam,  star-grass  and 
motherwort. 

Most  pharmaceutical  houses,  following  the  lead  of  nostrum- 
makers,  put  similar  mixtures  on  the  market;  for  example: 
"Elixir  of  Viburnum  Compound"  (Nelson,  Baker  &  Co.)  is 

3.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  March  28,  1908,  p.  1065. 

4.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  1,  1910,  p.  G3. 


.l//,S'(.'A,'/./..I.V/-;or,S      AON'/'/,'/  M/N  321 

said  to  contain  cramp-bark,  American  skullcap  and  wild  yam; 
"Elixir  of  Hydrastis  and  Viburnum  Compound"  (Smith,  Kline 
&  French  Co.),  cramp-bark,  goldenseal,  Jamaica  dogwood  and 
pulsatilla;  "Elixir  of  Hydrastis  and  Cramp  Bark  Compound" 
(Parke,  Davis  &  Co.).  cramp-bark,  hyxlrastis,  Jamaica  dog- 
wood and  pulsatilla;  "Fluid  Extract  of  Cramp  Bark  Com- 
pound" (H.  K.  Mulford  Co.),  American  skullcap,  cramp-bark 
and 'wild  yam;  "Mother's  Cordial"  (Eli  Lilly  &  Co.),  cramp- 
bar-k,  blue  cohosh,  false  unicorn  and  squaw  vine;  "Uterine 
Sedative  Elixir"  (Eli  Lilly  &  Co.),  cramp-bark,  goldenseal, 
Jamaica  dogwood  and  pulsatilla;  "Vibutero"  (Fred.  Stearns  & 
Co.),  cramp-bark,  wild  yam,  black  haw,  squak  vine,  Jamaica 
dogwood,  saw  palmetto  and  pulsatilla.  Practically  all  of  these 
drugs  (except  goldenseal)  are  ignored  in  the  standard  works 
on  pharmacology.  Further,  the  results  of  careful  examina- 
tion by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  of  the  thera- 
peutic claims  made  for  most  of  them  shows  that  these  claims 
are  not  sustained  by  reliable  clinical  experience. 

The  fact  is  that  the  popularity  of  preparations  of  this  kind 
is  purely  an  artificially  created  one.  A  nostrum  containing, 
let  us  say.  extractives  of  some  little-used  or  worthless  drugs 
is  put  on  the  market  and  heavily  advertised.  Should  it  be 
advertised  in  a  manner  to  make  it  sell,  a  host  of  imitations 
appear  and  the  large  pharmaceutical  houses  put  out  substi- 
tutes for  it.  The  uncritical  physician  does  the  rest.  He  pre- 
scribes it  indiscriminately  in  the  class  of  cases  for  which  it  is 
advertised.  Naturally,  a  certain  proportion  of  the  patients 
who  take  it  recover,  and  the  recoveries  are  credited  to  the 
nostrum.  A  vicious  circle  is  thus  established  and  the  demand 
for  the  stuff  increases.  Its  sale,  and  the  sale  of  similar  prod- 
ucts, continues  until  the  overwhelming  experience  of  those  who 
have  prescribed  it  proves  its  uselessness.  In  the  meantime  the 
manufacturers  have  reaped  a  harvest  at  the  expense  both  of 
the  public  and  of  the  medical  profession.  And  the  manufac- 
turers' excuse  for  putting  such  absurd  "specialties"  on  the 
market  is  that  physicians  prescrilio  them! — (From  The  .Jour- 
nal A.  M.  A.,  Aug.  31,  1912.) 


PART  IV 
MISCELLANEOUS  MATTER 


ACETPHENETIDIN    AND    PHENACETIN— THEIR 
RELATIVE  PURITY 

Until  six  years  ago  the  chemical  product  known  as  phe- 
nacetin  was  patented  both  as  to  process  and  to  product.  As 
the  patent  ran  out  at  that  time,  anyone,  of  course,  could 
manufacture  it.  It  was  placed  in  the  Pharmacopeia  under 
the  name  "acetphenetidin."  It  is  on  the  market  now  under 
both  names,  "phenacetin"  and  "acetphenetidin."  The  price 
of  the  former  is  five  times1  that  of  the  latter,  hence  it  is 
rather  important  to  know  whether  or  not  one  is,  in  any  way, 
better  or  purer  than  the  other.  The  original  patentees  or 
manufacturers,  the  Farbenfabriken  of  Elberfeld  Company, 
market  the  product  under  the  name  "phenacetin"  and  also 
under  the  official  name  "acetphenetidin,"  the  former  at  about 
33  cents  an  ounce  and  the  latter  at  about  G  to  7  cents  an 
ounce.  Evidently  these  people  believe  that  acetphenetidin  is 
all  right  'since  their  price-list  says:  "Our  product  is  of  the 
highest  standard  of  purity,"  and  in  another  place:  "On 
account  of  the  low  price  of  acetphenetidinum,  U.  S.  P.,  it  is 
especially  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  medicinal  special- 
ties, such  as  headache  powders,  etc."  Remember  that  it  is 
the  manufacturers  of  phenacetin  who  say  this. 

The  question  arose  whether  or  not  phenacetin  differs  from 
acetphenetidin.  If  it  does,  then  physicians  should  know  it. 
An  inquiry  was  addressed  to  Farbenfabriken  of  Elberfeld 
Company  and  also  to  Lehn  &  Fink,  two  firms  which  market 
the  product  in  this  country  under  both  names,  asking  in 
what  respect  the  two  products  differ.  No  answer  was  received 
from  either  firm.  With  the  object  of  answering  the  ques- 
tion our  chemists  have  investigated  the  preparations  on  the 
market,  both  those  sold  'under  the  name  "phenacetin"  and 
those  under  the  official  title  "acetphenetidin."  The  following 
is  a  summary  of  their  report  :- 

THE  CHEMISTS'  REPORT 

Physical  Appearance.-^- All  the  specimens  were  found  to  be 
fine  white  crystalline  powders,  differing  somewhat  in  appear- 
ance as  follows:  Four  specimens— Acetphenetidin  (Farben- 

1.  Phenacetin  is  listed  at  33  cents  an  ounce,  acetphenetidin  at  98 
cents  a  pound  in  quarter-pound  lots. 

2.  Full    details   of   analysis   are   published   in    Volume   V   of   the 
annual   report   of   the   Chemical    Laboratory. 


MJ8CBLLANT  323 

fabrikeii ) ,  Pheuacetin  (Specimen  1" — Farbenf abriken ) ,  Pho 
nacetin  (.Specimen  23 — Farbenfabriken)  and  Acetphenetidin 
(Squibb) — appeared  very  much  alike,  each  being  a  very  fine 
crystalline  powder,  differing  only  slightly  as  to  fineness.  Five 
other  specimens — Phenacetin  (Lehn  &  Fink),  and  Acetphe- 
netidin, U.  S.  P.  (Lehn  &  Fink),  Acetphenetidin  (Merck), 
and  two  specimens  of  Acetphenetidin  (Powers-Weightman- 
Rosengarten ) ,  had  the  same  general  appearance,  each  consist- 
ing of  a  fine  crystalline  powder  containing  a  considerable  pro- 
portion of  large  rectangular  plates.  Three  specimens — Acet- 
phenetidin (Mallinckrodt)  and  two  specimens  of  Acetphene- 
tidin ( Powers- Weightman-Rosengar ten) — had  the  same  gen- 
eral appearance  being  a  moderately  fine  and  homogeneous 
crystalline  powder.  When  examined  microscopically  with  a 
low-power  lens  the  Mallinckrodt  product  appeared  to  consist 
principally  of  rectangular  prisms  and  the  Powers- Weightman- 
Rosengarten  product  to  be  made  up  largely  of  plates. 

Identity. — All  of  the  specimens  when  tested  side  by  side 
responded  to  and  complied  with  the  identity  tests  of  the 
United  States,  British,  German,  Swiss,  Dutch,  Swedish,  Span- 
ish, and  Danish  pharmacopeias.  The  reactions  given  by  the 
several  specimens  w-ere  all  the  same,  showing  no  difference  in 
any  case. 

Melting-Points. — As  a  further  proof  of  identity  and  simi- 
larity the  melting-points  of  the  different  specimens  were 
taken  and  found  to  be :  Acetphenetidin  ( Farbenfabriken ) , 
134.2  C.;  Phenacetin  (Specimen  1— Farbenfabriken)  133.7 
C.;  Phenacetin  (Lehn  &  Fink),  134.7  C.;  Acetphenetidin 
(Lehn  &  Fink)  134.9  C.;  Acetphenetidin  (Powers-Weightman- 
Rosengarten).  (1)  134.3  C.,  (2)  133.6  C.,  (3)  134.7  C.,  (4) 
134.7  C.;  Acetphenetidin  (Squibb)  134.2  C.;  Acetphenetidin 
(Merck),  134.8  C.,  and  Acetphenetidin  (Mallinckrodt),  134.2 
C.  The  melting-point  is  given  as  135  C.  in  the  British,  French 
and  Spanish  pharmacopeias,  and  as  134  to  135  C.  in  the  United 
States,  German,  Swiss,  Danish,  Swedish  and  Dutch  pharma- 
copeias. Thus  all  comply  with  the  standard  given  in  our 
pharmacopeia  and  most  foreign  pharmacopeias  with  two  excep- 
tions and  those  respectively  only  0.3  C.  and  0.4  C.  low. 

Absence  of  Acetanilid. — The  absence  of  acetanilid  in  all  the 
specimens  was  indicated  by  the  bromin  test  of  the  United 
States,  British,  German,  Swiss,  Dutch,  Swedish  and  Danish 
pharmacopeias. 

Absence  of  Carbonizable  Matter. — The  absence  of  carbon- 
izable  matter  was  shown  in  all  specimens  by  the  sulphuric 
acid  test  of  the  United  States,  British,  German,  French,  Swiss, 
Dutch,  Swedish  and  Spanish  pharmacopeias. 

3.  '-Specimen  1"  is  a  specimen  of  the  product  regularly  sold  in 
this  country.  "Specimen  2"  is  a  specimen  of  a  product  sold  in 
England  and  whose  resale  in  this  country  was  prohibited  by  the 
manufacturers. 


324 


PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 


Water-8oluUe  Matter.— All  specimens  when  tested  for 
excess  of  water-soluble  matter  came  well  within  the  limit 
(0.50  per  cent.)  set  by  the  French  pharmacopeia,  the  greatest 
amount  being  0.20  per  cent. 

Ash. — When  heated,  all  the  specimens  were  found  to  yield 
practically  no  ash,  the  residues  from  1  gm.  samples  weighing 
in  no  case  more  than  0.0004  gm. 

TABLE     SHOWING     RESULTS     OF     ANALYSES     OF     VARIOUS 

SPECIMENS  OF  ACETPHENETIDIN  AND 

PHENACETIN  * 


"3 

m 

8 

aetidin,  1  1 
Testt  || 

ictidin, 
Test  t  1 

Name 

Physical 
Appearance 

at 

?iL 

& 

-i"" 

i- 

fs 

JS 

P 

F? 

r 

Acetphenetidin 

Very  fine  homogeneous 

134.2 

0.17 

0.02 

+ 

(Farbenfabri- 

crystalline  powder. 

ken). 

Phenacetin    (Far- 
benfabriken) 

Very  fine  homogeneous 
crystalline  powder. 

134.5 

0.10 

0.01 

— 

+ 

(!)• 

Phenacetin    (Far- 
benfabriken) 

Very  fine  homogeneous 
crystalline  powder. 

133.7 

O.OG 

0.00 

— 

+ 

(2). 

Phenacetin 
(Lehn  &Fink). 

Fine  crystalline  pow- 
der, not  uniform. 

134.7 

0.11 

0.02 

— 

+ 

Acetphenetidiu 

Fine  crystalline   pow- 

134.8 

0.13 

0.00 

-^ 

_i_ 

(  Lehn  &  Fink). 
Acetphenetidin 

der,  not  uniform. 
Homogeneous  crystal- 

134.3 

0.19 

0.03 

+ 

+ 

(P.  W.  R.)(l). 

line  powder. 

Acetphenetidin 

Homogeneous  crystal- 

134.7 

0.16 

0.02 

i 

i 

(P.  W.  R.)(2). 
Acetphenetidin 

line  powder. 
Homogeneous  crystal- 

134.7 

0.14 

0.02 

+ 

+ 

(P.  W.  R.)  (3). 

line  powder. 

Acetphenetidin 

Fine  crystalline   pow- 

133.6 

0.20 

0.01 





(P.  W.  R.)(4). 

der. 

Acetphenetidin 

Fine  crystalline   pow- 

134.3 

0.19 

0.00 



+ 

(Squibb). 

der. 

Acetphenetidin 

Fine  crystalline  pow- 

134.8 

0.15 

0.03 

. 



(Merck). 

der. 

Acetphenetidin 

Fine  crystalline  pow- 

134.2 

0.11 

0.01 





(Mallinckrodt) 

der. 

*  In  all  cases   identity   was  confirmed ;   acetanilid   was   absent 
carbonizable  matter  was  absent 

t  In  this  column  plus  indicates  presence ;  minus,  absence. 


Absence  of  Paraphenetidin. — When  tested  by  the  methods 
of  the  United  States,  British,  German  and  French  pharma- 
copeias, the  absence  of  an  impurity  of  paraphenetidin  was 
shown  in  all  specimens,  with  the  exception  of  one  specimen 
obtained  from  Powers-  Weightman-Rosengarten  Co.,  which 
gave  a  positive,  thoiigh  not  strong,  reaction  and  two  other 
specimens  of  the  same  firm  which  reacted  still  more  faintly. 
While  this  firm's  product  alone  gave  any  reaction  whatever 


\fIBOELLANY  325 

wlien  the  U.  S.  P.  test  for  paraphenetidin  was  applied  with 
the  test  of  the  Swiss  pharmacopeia,  all  but  Acetphenetidin 
(Mallinckrodt),  Acetphenetidin  (Merck)  and  one  specimen  of 
Powers-Weightinan-Rosengarten  Co.  gave  positive,  though  very 
faint  reactions,  indicating  that  the  majority  of  specimens, 
including  those  of  the  original  manufacturer,  contain  a  minute 
trace  of  this  impurity. 

Our  findings  regarding  the  product  of  Powers-Weightman- 
Rosengarten  Co.  having  been  communicated  to  this  firm,  their 
correctness  was  acknowledged.  At  the  same  time  the  firm 
wrote:  "All  that  we  have  on  hand  now  gives  negative  tests 
for  paraphenetidin,  and  we  believe  our  present  records  are 
correct  when  we  state  that  all  lots  which  we  are  supplying 
now,  and  have  been  supplying  for  sometime  past,  answer  all 
U.  S.  P.  requirements." 

This  examination  appears  to  demonstrate  that  the  chem- 
ical substance,  para-acetphenetidin,  whether  sold  as  aeet- 
phenetidin,  U.  S.  P.,  or  as  phenacetin,  is  practically  identical. 
The  impurity  of  the  product  of  some  of  the  specimens  com- 
ing from  Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten  Co.  is  too  slight 
to  be.  considered  dangerous.  Furthermore,  a  comparison  of 
the  "lot  numbers"  indicates  that  this  firm  has  been  improv- 
ing its  product  steadily  so  that  in  the  future  its  assurances 
of  an  unimpeachable  product  may  be  relied  on.  Inasmuch, 
therefore,  as  acetphenetidin  complies  with  all  the  pharma- 
copeial  requirements  as  to  identity  and  purity,  in  just  the 
same  way  as  phenacetin,  which  sells  for  as  high  as  five  times 
the  price  of  acetphenetidin,  physicians  need  not  hesitate  in 
using  the  title  of  the  U.  S.  P.  "acetphenetidin"  when  pre- 
scribing this  product. — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  March 
16,  1912.) 

Acetphenetidin  and  Phenacetin 

A  physician-pharmacist  writes:  "If  a  prescription  calls  for 
'phenacetin,'  should  the  pharmacist  dispense  'phenacetin- 
IJayer' — that  is,  the  phenacetin  manufactured  by  the  original 
patentee — or  would  he  be  justified  in  dispensing  the  official 
acetphenetidin,  manufactured  by  any  reliable  chemical  or 
pharmaceutical  house?" 

Unless  the  pharmacist  happens  to  know  that  the  physician 
in  writing  the  prescription  desired  the  Bayer  brand,  he  would 
be  justified  in  dispensing  acetphenetidin,  U.  S.  P.  As  a 
general  thing,  physicians  use  the  word  "phenacetin"  without 
intending  to  prescribe  any  particular  brand  or  make,  simply 
because  they  are  familiar  with  this  word  and  are  not  familiar 
with  the  official  term  "acetphenetidin."  They  will  doubtless 
continue  to  use  the  term  "phenacetin"  and  we  know  of  no 
sufficient  reason  for  doing  otherwise.  During  the  life  of 
the  patent  the  word  "phenacetin"  became  a  familiar  one.  and 
the  product  became  generally  known  by  this  term.  But  a 


326  I'h'Ol'AUAXDA      l-'Olf     ItKFOKM 

coined  name  for  a  patented  article  loses  its  proprietary 
character  and  becomes  the  common  name  of  the  article  when 
the  patent  expires.  In  other  words,  when  the  patent  expires, 
not  only  the  product  hut  also  the  name  itself  becomes  com- 
mon property.  This  principle  has  been  recognized  by  the 
courts.  Those  who  formerly  controlled  the  product  and  the 
name  "phenacetin"  evidently  recognized  this  principle,  for 
they  have  taken  no  steps  to  prosecute  a  firm  in  this  country 
which  sells  the  product  openly  under  the  name  "phenacetin." 
It  might  be  added  that  the  preparation  is  official  in  most 
foreign  pharmacopeias  under  the  name  "phenacetin."  In 
agreement  also  with  this  principle  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry  (TiiK  JOURNAL,  April  27,  p.  1298)  lists  in 
Xe\v  and  Nonofficial  Remedies  such  products  as  "lanolin," 
"phenacetin,"  "sulphonal"  and  "trional"  as  non-proprietary 
names  applied  to  Adeps  lanae  hydrosus,  U.  S.  P.,  Acetphene- 
tidinum,  U.  S.  P.,  Sulphonmethanum,  U.  S.  P.,  and  Sulphon- 
ethylmethanum,  U.  S.  P.,  respectively. 

In  view  of  these  facts — and  also  bearing  in  mind  the  find- 
ings of  the  Association's  Chemical  Laboratory  (THE  Jouux.u.. 
March  16,  p.  801)  that  the  preparations  on  the  market  under 
the  title  "acetphenetidin"  are  of  equal  quality  with  the  prepa- 
rations sold  under  the  name  "phenacetin" — the  pharmacist 
should  recognize  that  acetphenetidin  is  identical  with 
phenacetin,  is  prescribed,  provided,  of  course,  that  no  special 
brand  of  phenacetin  is  ordered. 

It  ,is  the  physician's  privilege,  of  course,  to  specify  the 
goods  of  a  particular  manufacturer,  but  in  view  of  the  fact 
brought  out  above  that  all  brands  of  this  chemical  have  tested 
up  to  the  U.  S.  P.  standard,  it  is  placing  an  unnecessary 
burden  on  the  pharmacist  to  require  him  to  have  on  hand 
many  different  brands  of  one  substance.  The  physician 
should  save  this  privilege  for  use  when  prescribing  some 
product  that  differs  materially  in  its  various  forms  on  the 
market,  as  for  example  in  the  case  of  certain  Huidextracts. 

Physicians  will  doubtless  find  that  the  above  comments 
will  interest  their  local  pharmacists.  It  is  of  mutual 
value  for  physicians  to  talk  these,  matters  over  with  their 
pharmacists. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  S,  191 >). 


DE  BARTHE     TREATMENT 
A   Rheumatism    Cure    Conducted    under    the   Auspices    of    the 

Neal  Institute 

We  have  received  a  number  of  inquiries  about  a  Chicago 
concern  known  as  the  "DeBarthe  Treatment  for  Rheumatism." 
The  so-called  treatment  is  "administered""  at  the  Chicago 
Hospital,  which  was  purchased  from  reputable  physicians 


\I1SCELL.\\Y  327 

some  time  ago  by  the  persons  who,  under  the  name  of  the 
Neal  Institute,  are  exploiting  a  "three-day  liquor  cure." 

Of  the  "treatment"  employed  by  the  Neal  Institute  in  the 
"cure"  of  the  liquor  habit,  we  have  nothing  to  say  at  present. 
We  believe  that  physicians  are  not  informed  as  to  the  details 
of  this  "cure,"  although  physicians  are  offered  a  20  per  cent, 
commission  on  all  patients  sent  to  the  institute!  In  passing, 
it  may  be  said  that  B.  E.  Neal,  the  "founder"  of  the  Neal 
Institute,  is  reported  to  have  been  sued  by  the  Gatlin  Insti- 
tute, another  concern  in  the  "three-day  liquor  cure"  business. 
The  Gatlin  Institute  is  said  to  have  declared  that  Neal,  who 
was  in  its  employ  for  about  six  years,  used  the  secrets  learned 
when  in  its  employ  and  that,  too,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
Neal  is  alleged  to  have  niade  an  oral  contract  not  to  divulge 
what  he  learned  as*an  employee  and  not  to  employ  the  meth- 
ods that  he  learned  in  a  similar  business  if  ever  he  severed 
his  connection  with  the  Gatlin  Institute. 

The  president  of  the  Neal  Institute  is  one  James  E.  Bruce, 
also  president  of  the  "DeBarthe  Treatment  for  Rheumatism." 
The  DeBarthe  treatment  is  advertised  by  methods. common  to 
quackery.  For  example,  in  a  Chicago  paper  a  few  months 
ago,  an  advertisement  appeared  headed  in  large  black  letters: 

"Chicago  Physician  has  Positive  Cure  for  Rheumatism.  Dr. 
DcBarthe's  Treatment  a  Universal  Success." 

Some  of  the  claims  made  for  the  DeBarthe  Treatment  are: 

"A  cure  is  within  the  reach  of  all." 

"We  cure  all  forms  of  rheumatism  that  are  curable." 

"An  absolute  cure  for  rheumatism  in  all  its  various  forms." 

"An  internal  Turkish  bath  that  cures  rheumatism;  liver,  stomach 
and  nervous  diseases." 

"All  forms  of  rheumatism  are  amenable  to  its  administration." 

"There  is  no  recurrence  of  the  trouble." 

"Consists  of  purely  vegetable  and  perfectly  harmless  medicines 
taken  internally.''  [Reminds  one  of  Lydia  Pinkham.] 

On  the  stationery  of  the  DeBarthe  concern,  in  addition  to 
the  president's  name,  two  other  names  appear — "John  Alex- 
ander Ross,  Physician  in  Charge,"  and  "Dr.  Jos.  DeBarthe, 
Director  Medical  Dep't."  What  the  DeBarthe  treatment  is, 
we  do  not  kirow.  A  letter  from  a  physician,  regarding  this 
concern,  says,  in  part: 

"The  agent  representing  the  DeBarthe  Co.  gives  the  Chicago  Hos- 
pital, Chicago,  111.,  as  their' address.  They  seek  to  sell  their  treat- 
ment, consisting  of  medicine  of  secret  formula,  at  $25  a  treatment 
to  physicians  or  institutions  and  require  an  initial  payment  of 
|1,000  on  account." 

So  far  as  we  can  learn,  DeBarthe  is  not  a  physician.  Cer- 
tainly he  is  not  licensed  in  Illinois.  In  fact,  the  secretary  of 
the  Illinois  State  Board  of  Health  states  that  he  has  author- 
ized the  state's  attorney  in  Cook  County  to  prosecute  DeBarthe 


FOlt     HE  FORM 


if  at  any  time  he  is  found  to  be  practicing  medicine  in  Illinois. 
We  understand  that  DeBarthe  used  to  live  at  Sheridan,  Wyo., 
where  he  was  a  lawyer  and  a  newspaper  man.  He  left  there 
some  time  ago  and  coming  to  Chicago  he  was  connected  with 
the  Metropolitan  Medical  College,  a  notorious  diploma  mill, 
that  was  put  out  of  business  by  the  government.  DeBarthe's 
name  appeared  in  the  list  of  the  faculty  of  the  "institution" 
with  the  letters  "M.D.,  LL.D.,"  after  it  and  the  titles  "Profes- 


I'liotos'rapliic  reproduction  of  ono  of  the  diploniMs  issued  by  the 
fraudulent  Metropolitan  Medical  ('<>llc«o.  Notice  iJel'.ai'tho's  signa- 
ture just  under  that  of  Armstrong,  who  was  sentenced  to  one  year 
in  jail  and  a  fine  of  $500  for  conducting  the  fraud.  lOxposed  in 
TUB  JomiNAi,  A.  M.  A.,  March  12,  1898,  Oct.  14  and  21,  18!)!>.  and 
Nov.  31,  1000. 

sor  of  Medical  Jurisprudence"  and  "  Lecturer  on  Electrology  and 
Electrotherapeutics."  Whether  DeBarthe  got  his  M.D.  degree 
from  the  school  in  which  he  was  a  "professor,"  we  do  not 
know. 


MLSCELLAXY  329 

In  this  connection,  the  following  sidelight  on  DeBarthe  and 
his  methods  will  be  of  interest.  In  November,  1910,  THE 
.JOURNAL  received  a  letter  from  a  Mr.  L.  of  M.,  Ohio.  Mr.  L.'s 
story  was  briefly  as  follows:  For  twelve  years  his  wife  had 
been  affected  with  rheumatism  and  was  unable  to  walk  more 
than  a  few  steps.  DeBarthe,  who  had  been  treating  patients 

in  X ,  0.,  heard  of  the  case  and  came  over  to  Mr.  L.'s 

house.  He  told  L.  that  he  could  put  Mrs.  L.  "on  her  feet  in 
one  year,"  but  he  required  $250  in  advance  before  he  would 
take  the  case.  Mr.  L.  sent  DeBarthe  the  $250  and  received 
some  medicine,  which,  he  claims,  DeBarthe  valued  at  $50. 
Treatment  was  commenced  October  18,  1910,  at  which  time 
Mrs.  L.  was  in  her  usual  state  of  health.  She  died  eleven 
days  later— October  29,  1910.  When  Mr.  L.  saw  that  his  wife 
was  becoming  seriously  ill  under  the  treatment,  he  both 
telegraphed  and  telephoned  DeBarthe  to  come  immediately. 
This  DeBarthe  refused  to  do  and  told  L.  over  the  telephone, 
that  he  was  unduly  alarmed,  that  his  wife  would  not  die  and 
that  he  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  call  in  a  local  physician. 
After  his  wife's  death,  Mr.  L.  sent  the  death  certificate  to 
Chicago  where  it  was  signed  by  DeBarthe  and  returned  to  him. 

Such  briefly  is  the  story  told  by  Mr.  L.  Investigation 
proved  that  DeBarthe  was  not  licensed  to  practice  in  Illinois 
or  in  Ohio.  We  have,  therefore,  the  spectacle  of  a  man  living 
in  Illinois,  practicing  in  Ohio  and  signing  death  certificates 
although  he  has  no  legal  right  to  practice  in  either  state.  In 
fact,  so  far  as  we  know,  DeBarthe  has  no  legal  right  to  prac- 
tice in  any  state. 

From  what  has  been  said,  the  medical  profession  will  have 
little  difficulty  in  assigning  the  DeBarthe  Institute  to  its 
proper  niche  in  the  hall  of  fakes  and  humbugs. — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Dec.  16,  1911.) 


DEKOFA 
A   Caffein-Poor   Coffee 

To  those  who  would  indulge  their  cravings,  but  whose 
health  will  not  permit  such  indulgence,  alcohol-free  beer, 
nicotin-free  cigars  and  caffein-f ree  coffee  make  an  ever-alluring 
subject.  Unfortunately  these  articles  have  in  the  past  been 
free  from  their  objectionable  constituents  in  name  only,  or 
if  true  to  claim  were  unsatisfactory  substitutes  for  the  real 
articles— for  beer  without  alcohol,  tobacco  without  nicotin  and 
coffee  without  caffein  is  much  like  "Hamlet"  with  Hamlet  left 
out.  In  the  end,  those  whose  health  interdicts  the  use  of 
these  stimulants  wisely  become  total  abstainers  rather  than 
consumers  of  unsatisfying  substitutes,  which  but  perpetuate 
the  craving. 

Recently  a  "decaffeinated"  coffee,  advertised  and  sold  in 
this  country  by  Merck  &  Co.,  first  as  "Dekafa"  and  now  as 


330  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

"Dekofa,"  has  attracted  some  attention,  judging  from  the 
inquiries  received  regarding  it.  It  is  evident  from  these 
inquiries  that  physicians  in  view  of  past  experiences  no  longer 
rely  on  the  unconfirmed  statements  of  manufacturers  but 
require  more  convincing  evidence  than  such  statements  before 
accepting  the  product  for  what  it  is  sold.  In  view  of  the 
many  inquiries  regarding  Dekofa  the  Association  chemists 
investigated  the  product  and  report: 

Dekofa  is  sold  on  the  retail  market  in  1 -pound  packages 
labeled: 

"Dekofa — a  genuine  coffee  from  which  the  stimulating  drug 
caffein  has  been  largely  removed.  Particularly  adapted  for  those  to 
whom  ordinary  coffee  is  forbidden." 

"Use  precisely  as  ordinary  coffee — no  special  directions  for 
making  are  needed." 

Besides  the  above  the  following  statements,  some  addressed 
to  the  laity  and  others  to  the  profession  are  found  in  the 
advertising  matter: 

"Does  the  doctor  forbid  you  coffee?  Then  ask  him  about  Dekofa 
or  Merck's  'Caffeinless'  coffee.  Most  probably  he'll  lot  you  drink 
that— and  lots  of  it  too." 

"Drink  it  at  home  and  you  won't  have  to  drink  it  in  Europe — 
and  you  may  not  have  to  go  to  Europe  for  your  health,  either." 

"There  is  no  need  of  you  forbidding  coffee  to  your  patients 
troubled  with  'heart'  or  'nerve'  or  'stomach'  complaints,  if  you  will 
direct  them  to  use  Dekofa,  Merck's  'Caffeinless  Coffee.'  " 

"The  average  caffein  content  of  ordinary  coffee  is  1.3  per  cent. 
Dekofa  contains  approximately  0.13  to  0.15  per  cent,  of  caffein  or 
about  10  per  cent,  only  of  the  normal  content." 

From  the  standpoint  of  the  chemist  the  claims  made  by 
the  manufacturer  bring  up  for  discussion  the  following  points: 
Dekofa  is  spoken  of  as  "Merck's  Caffeinless  Coffee."  This 
term  would  signify  that  the  coffee  is  free  from  caffein  but  as 
the  firm  makes  a  statement  that  the  product  contains  0.13  to 
0.15  per  cent,  caffein  it  is  evident  that  here  the  manufac- 
turers seek  exemption  from  the  truth  under  a  sort  of  poetic 
license  enjoyed  in  the  past  by  "patent  medicine"  exploiters. 
The  use  of  the  phrase  "caffeinless"  can  do  but  one  thing — 
disguise  the  truth  and  hence  should  be  dropped. 

The  firm  asserts  that  "the  average  caffein  content  of  ordi- 
nary coffee  is  1.3  per  cent."  According  to  published  analyses 
the  caffein  content  of  coffee  varies  from  0.64  per  cent.1  to  3.G4 
per  cent.2  This  variation  is  due  in  part  to  natural  causes 
and  in  part  to  the  unsatisfactory  methods  of  assay.  Thus 
one  investigator  finds  in  coffee  of  different  sources  0.64  to 
1.53  per  cent,  caffein,3  while  three  experimenters,  working  on 
the  same  specimen  of  coffee,  reported,  by  the  provisional 
method  of  the  Official  Agricultural  Chemists,  results  ranging 

1.  Arch.  Pharm.,  1876,  p.  294. 

2.  Allg.    Kaffee   Zeitung,    Rotterdam,    from    Proc.   Amer.    Pharm. 
Assn.,  1885,  p.  144. 

3.  Arch.  Pharm.,  1876,  p.  294. 


.l//XC7J/,/,.I.YV  331 

from  0.28  per  cent,  to  0.89  per  cent,  caffein  and  by  another 
method  from  1.02  per  cent,  to  1.21  per  cent,  caffein. 

These  results  make  it  evident  that  no  reliable  average 
caffein  content  for  coffee  can  be  given,  particularly  when  the 
method  of  assay  is  not  defined.  We  are  not  in  a  position, 
however,  to  deny  the  correctness  of  the  average  caffein  con- 
tent of  coffee  as  given  by  Merck  &  Co.,  nor,  therefore,  the 
claim  that  the  presence  of  0.13  per  cent,  caffein  is  an  indica- 
tion that  90  per  cent,  has  been  extracted.  Assuming  for 
the  present  that  0.13  per  cent,  caffein  does  indicate  the 
removal  of  90  per  cent.,  and  in  view  of  repeated  inquiries  it 
was  decided  to  determine  whether  the  actual  caffein  content 
of  this  product  on  the  market  agrees  with  the  manufacturers 
claims. 

To  determine  the  caffein  content  ( 1 )  the  modified  pro- 
visional method  of  the  Association  of  Agricultural  Chemists 
(loc.  cit.)  and  (2)  a  method  proposed  by  Gorter  (ibid.)  were 
used  and  the  following  results  obtained:4 

1.  (a)    0.13  per  cent.;    (6)    0.17  per  cent,  or  an  average  of 
0.15  per  cent,  caffein. 

2.  (a)    0.21   per  cent.;    (5)    0.25  per  cent,  or  an  average  of 
0.23  per  cent,  caffein. 

Although  these  results  vary  somewhat,  due  to  the  different 
methods  of  assay  used,  they  show  that  the  caffein  content 
of  the  product  agrees  in  general  with  the  claims.  In  conclu- 
sion it  may  be  said  that  in  those  cases  in  which  physicians  feel 
called  on  to  interdict  the  use  of  coffee  and  in  which  the  patient 
is  not  willing  to  give  up  the  habit,  this  product — unsatisfying 
as  it  is — may  be  used  with  the  knowledge  that  it  is  relatively 
free  from  caffein.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  1,  1911.) 


DIGIPOTEN— WHAT   IS   IT? 

A  correspondent,  who  wishes  to  sign  himself  "A  Pharmacist 
Subscriber,"  writes : 

"What  is  Digipoten?  Has  it  been  passed  on  by  the  Council 
on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  ?  An  advertisement  states : 

"It  contains  several  active  glucosids  of  digitalis  leaves,  practi- 
cally without  a  trace  of  inert  matter. 

"Further  on  the  same  advertisement  states: 
"Dissolved,  it  makes  a  beautiful,  green  fluid. 

"The  last  statement  reads  much  as  if  Digipoten  was  merely 
another  name  for  a  powdered  extract  of  digitalis,  but  as  the 
green  coloring  matter  of  digitalis  is  not  medicinally  potent, 
so  far  as  I  know,  it  does  not  agree  with  the  first  claim  quoted. 

"We  standardize  it  (by  tests  on  the  frog)  to  an  exact  strength, 
so  the  doctor  may  regulate  the  dosage  to  a  nicety,  avoiding  danger- 
ous cumulation. 

4.  The  details  of  analysis  will  appear  in  the  annual  report  of  the 
Association  laboratory. 


332  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

"How  does  the  standardization  by  frogs  help  the  doctor  to 
'regulate  the  dosage  to  a  nicety?'  And  then,  too,  is  it  possible 
that  the  manufacturer  of  Digipoten— the  Abbott  Alkaloidal 
Company — really  places  any  dependence  on  frogs  when  in  years 
gone  by  it  has  preached  that  only  clinical  results  were  worth 
while?  If  the  Abbott  Alkaloidal  Company  standardizes  this 
digitalis  preparation  has  it  possibly  also  undertaken  to 
standardize  its  other  heart  drug,  Cactin? 

"Its  chemistry  being  done,  it  does  not  irritate  and  distress  the 
stomach  as  the  fluid  preparations  so  often  do. 

"  'Its  chemistry  being  done'  is  almost  artistic,  provided  you 
read  it  sufficiently  rapidly;  but  as  for  sense  or  meaning,  I 
fail  to  find  any.  Besides,  is  it  not  a  proved  fact  that  its  effect 
on  the  stomach  is  a  property  of  the  digitalis  principles  them- 
selves? 

"It  is  not  'cumulative.* 

"Is  this  not  a  rank  falsehood?  The  reason  I  ask  these  ques- 
tions is  that  I  fear  that  the  advertisement  rtm tains  a  mis- 
print and  that  the  statement  'See  that  your  druggist  is 
stock-ed'  probably  should  read  'See  that  your  druggist  is 
stuck.'  " 

Digipoten  seems  to  be  an  ordinary  extract  of  digitalis  diluted 
with  sugar  of  milk.  It  has  not  been  accepted  by  the  Council  on 
Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  Evidently  "A  Pharmacist  Sub- 
scriber" is  not  familiar  with  the  fact  that  many  statements 
occurring  in  the  literature  advertising  proprietaries  are  not  to 
be  taken  too  seriously.  Of  course  digitalis  glucosids  are  not  of 
a  beautiful  green  color,  but  glucosids  In  pure  form  are  rather 
expensive  and  difficult  to  prepare,  while  an  extract  is  com- 
paratively easy  to  make  and  inexpensive.  In  calling  attention 
to  this  really  harmless,  beautiful,  green  color  the  manufac- 
turers of  Digipoten  seem  willing  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity. 
While  Digipoten  is  not  claimed  to  be  more  active  than  digi- 
talis, it  sells  at  a  little  more  than  $40  a  pound  wholesale,  or 
one  hundred  times  the  price  of  digitalis  leaf  of  equal  activity. 
"Its  chemistry  being  done,"  etc.,  is  merely  one  of  those  state- 
ments which  appear  so  frequently  in  advertisements  of  this 
sort,  and  to  which  no  particular  meaning  is  to  be  attached.  At 
any  rate,  the  facetious  comments  of  our  correspondent  serve 
quite  as  well  as  any  we  can  offer. —  (From  The  Journal 
A.  M.  A.,  Feb.  22,  1913.) 


ERGOT  AND  ITS  PHYSIOLOGIC  STANDARDIZATION 
Reference  was  made  editorially  in  THE  JOURNAL,  October  7, 
1911,  to  a  study  of  the  question  of  the  physiologic  standard- 
ization of  ergot  by  Edmunds  and  Hale,  in  which  they  review 
the  various  methods  employed  in  the  standardization  of  the 
drug  and  give  the  results  of  their  own  work  with  proprietary 
and  pharmacopeia!  preparations  of  various  manufacturers. 


MISCELLANY  333 

Their  report  is  a  highly  interesting  document  and  it  is  pre- 
sented here  in  order  that  physicians  may  know  how  much  reli- 
ance is  to  be  placed  in  the  preparations  of  manufacturers  and 
what  serious  discrepancies  exist  between  the  claims  made  for 
permanency,  strength,  etc.,  of  their  special  products  and  the 
facts  as  brought  out  by  experiment.  A  summary  of  their  con- 
clusions as  to  the  method  of  standardization  is  also  given. 

"From  the  standpoint  of  both  practicing  physician  and 
patient  an  interesting  part  of  this  research  relates  to  the 
activity  of  various  ergot  preparations  as  they  are  obtained 
on  the  open  market.  Similar  work  has  been  reported  on  by 
various  writers  from  time  to  time,  but  even  their  results  show 
some  interesting  discrepancies  which  seem  to  be  dependent 
partially  at  least  on  the  special  method  of  assay  employed. 
The  examination  of  these  specimens  by  us  was  not  the  prime 
object  of  the  work,  but  only  an  incidental  part,  as  it  was 
mainly  concerned  with  an  examination  of  the  different  meth- 
ods of  assay  in  general  use. 

"Dixon,  using  the  blood-pressure  method,  reported  that 
among  six  samples  of  ergot  he  found  two  moderately  active, 
two  very  feeble,  and  two  worthless.  Edmunds  and  Roth,  by 
means  of  the  cat's  uterus,  found  that  in  a  series  of  fluid 
extracts  six  were  of  nearly  the  same  activity,  one  about  half 
strength  and  one  apparently  inactive.  Kehrer  reports  on  about 
twenty-five  ergot  preparations  which  he  assayed  in  the  course 
of  his  investigations  on  the  isolated  uterus.  Goodall,  in  his 
work  already  referred  to,  reports  on  the  examination  of  a 
large  number  of  ergot  preparations.  Among  these  he  found 
that  almost  60  per  cent,  showed  themselves  to  be  very  poor 
when  judged  by  the  blood-pressure  standard,  but  that  only  34 
per  cent,  failed  to  cause  satisfactory  contractions  of  the 
uterus.  Wood  and  Hofer  seem  to  have  had  the  most  discour- 
aging experiences  with  fluid  extracts,  as  they  found  among 
eleven  preparations  only  two  which  came  up  to  their  standard 
of  activity  as  determined  by  the  effect  on  the  blood-pressure. 

"Our  own  results  obtained  in  this  research  showed  that  the 
six  fluid  extracts  which  were  obtained  in  the  open  market  pos- 
sessed considerable  variation  in  activity,  some  being  four  times 
as  strong  as  others,  as  is  seen  in  the  following  table.  Only 
one  of  the  entire  number  approached  in  strength  the  fluid 
extracts  made  from  the  Spanish  and  Russian  ergot. 

"Relative  activity  of  preparations  of  ergot  examined.  Results 
of  July  and  December  assays. 

Spanish    ergot 5* 

Cornutol    (H.   K.    Mulford   Co.) 5 

Russian    ergot 0 

Nelson,   Baker  &  Co..  fluid   extract 6 

Ergone    (Parke,  Davis  &  Co.)    Sample  2 8 

Wyeth   purified  ergot 8 

*  The  numbers  represent  the  amounts  of  the  various  ergot  prep- 
arations that  were  required  to  produce  a  given  degree  of  cyanosis 
in  a  cock's  comb.  For  example  :  While  five  parts  of  Spanish  ergot 
produced  the  required  degree  of  cyanosis,  it  took  ten  parts  of 
Sharpe  &  Dohme's  fluid  extract  and  twenty  parts  of  Parke,  Davis 
&  Co.'s  fluid  extract  to  produce  the  same  effect. — ED. 


334  '     PROPAGANDA     FOR     RKI-'OKM 

I'arke,  Davis  &  Co..  sample  2,  fluid  extract !) 

Sharpe  &  Dohme,  fluid  extract 10 

Ray  Chemical  Co.,  fluid  extract 11 

Ergotole   (Sharpe  &  Dohmc) 15 

I'arke,  Davis  &  Co.,  sample  1,  fluid  extract :>u 

H.  K.  Mulford,  fluid  extract L'O 

Ergone   ( Parke,  Davis  &  Co. ) ,  sample  1 ': 

"As  it  is  so  generally  known  that  the  fluid  extracts  of 
ergot  deteriorate  quite  rapidly,  the  fact  that  some  prepara- 
tions on  the  market  which  are  made  according  to  the  phar- 
macopeia may  be  found  very  weak  need  not  be  considered  a 
reflection  on  the  manufacturer,  as  it  may  be  merely  the  result 
of  aging  or  other  causes.  It  would  seem  very  desirable,  how- 
ever, on  account  of  this  deterioration  with  age  that  bottles 
of  ergot  should  be  stamped  with  the  date  of  the  manufacture. 

"With  preparations  of  ergot  other  than  those  made  accord- 
ing to  pharmacopeial  directions,  the  condition  is  quite  differ- 
ent. These  are  prepared  according  to  some  private  formula 
and  are  represented  as  being  superior  to  the  official  prepara- 
tions, either  on  account  of  greater  strength,  permanence,  or 
some  other  suggested  superiority.  With  these  it  is  therefore 
of  importance  to  see  whether  they  possess  any  advantage  over 
the  cheaper  official  preparations  and  whether  they  actually 
conform  to  the  standard  claimed. 

PREPARATIONS   EXAMINED 

"Cornutol  appears  at  the  head  of  these  non-pharmacopeia] 
preparations,  and  our  sample  seemed  to  be  equal  in  activity 
to  the  Spanish  ergot  fluid  extract.  This  preparation  is  made 
by  H.  K.  Mulford  Co.,  Philadelphia,  from  'selected  Spanish 
ergot  and  contains  what  is  active  separated  from  inert  mat- 
ter,' and  is  said  to  be  assayed  so  as  to  contain  0.15  gram 
cornutin  in  100  c.c.  The  specimen  we  examined  was  a  thick 
greenish -brown  fluid  with  a  very  unpleasant  odor  which  sug- 
gested putrefaction.  The  most  interesting  point  in  connection 
with  our  sample  of  cornutol  was  that  while  it  was  found  to 
be  equally  active  with  a  good  fluid  extract,  it  should  have, 
been  much  more  potent  as  it  is  claimed  to  be  two  and  a  half 
times  as  strong,  each  minim  according  to  the  label  being  equal 
to  21/2  grains  of  ergot.  We  must  conclude,  therefore,  that  it, 
like  the  official  preparations,  had  undergone  deterioration. 

''The  'ergot  purified'  made  by  John  Wyeth  &  Bro.,  Phila- 
delphia, made  up  with  25  per  cent,  alcohol,  was  a  clear  Bur- 
gundy red,  and  possessed  the  characteristic  ergot  odor.  It 
required  a  dose  about  50  per  cent.  larger  than  a  good  fluid 
extract  in  order  to  produce  equal  effects,  and  yet  according 
to  the  makers  it  is  a  'concentrated  purified  solution  of  active 
constituents  of  ergot,  physiologically  tested  and  standardized.' 
The  method  of  assaying  is  not  stated,  but  if  we  can  judge  by 
the  copy  of  tracing  enclosed,  the  preparation  is  tested  by  the 
blood-pressure  method.  Here  again,  as  with  cornutol,  the  only 
explanation  we  have  to  offer  as  to  the  difference  in  strength 
between  that  indicated  on  the  label  and  what  we  found  on 
examination  is  that  it  must  have  deteriorated  very  consider- 
aWv. 


MISCELLANY  335 

"Still  more  interesting  is  'ergotole,'  made  by  Sharpe  & 
Dohme,  Baltimore.  One  specimen  was  found  to  be  about  one- 
third  as  strong  as  our  Spanish  fluid  extract,  while  according 
to  the  makers  it  should  be  two  and  one-half  times  stronger, 
as  each  cubic  centimeter  is  said  to  be  equal  to  2.5  grams  select 
Spanish  ergot.  Our  first  thought  would  be  that  this  remark- 
able discrepancy  could  be  explained  as  in  the  other  cases  by 
the  effect  of  age  on  the  preparation,  but  this  is  evidently  a 
mistake,  as  the  firm's  literature  positively  states  that  ergotole 
is  a  'permanent  solution,'  that  'it  does  not  change  with  age,' 
and  is  'therefore  always  reliable.'  Confronted  by  these  state- 
ments, we  are  entirely  at  a  loss  for  an  explanation  and  must 
leave  the  subject  with  the  mere  statement  of  facts.  Further, 
this  preparation  is  assayed  by  the  cornutine  of  Keller  which 
the  makers  have  found  to  be  a  'trustworthy  guide  as  to  the 
therapeutic  strength  of  the  drug.'  The  evidence  in  regard  to 
this  relation  we  discussed  at  another  point.  A  statement 
which  occurs  in  the  literature  of  the  firm  is  that  ergotole 
contains  all  the  active  principles  of  ergot  in  an  'unchanged 
condition'  and  'in  their  natural  combination.'  The  question 
might  be  raised  as  to  whether  this  is  not  rather  a  strong 
statement  and  one  which  would  be  hard  to  prove. 

"  'Ergone,'  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  appears  in  both  our  series 
of  assays,  as  the  results  obtained  with  it  in  July  were  so 
unfavorable  that  we  decided  to  examine  it  again  in  December. 
According  to  the  manufacturers,  it  is  of  the  same  strength  as 
the  official  fluid  extract,  is  non-alcoholic,  sterile,  active,  per- 
manent, and  physiologically  tested  and  standardized.  The 
December  samples  we  examined  compared  very  favorably  with 
the  fluid  extract  made  by  the  same  firm  whether  the  compari- 
son was  made  on  the  cock's  comb  or  the  uterus.  It  appar- 
ently was  slightly  stronger,  but  not  over  about  10  per  cent. 
However,  both  were  much  weaker  than  the  Spanish  fluid 
extract,  being  not  much  more  than  half  as  active.  If  the  fluid 
extract  had  deteriorated  (as  might  be  expected),  it  would 
look  as  if  ergone  must  have  deteriorated  also,  as  they  are  both 
standardized.  But  how  can  ergone  deteriorate,  being  a  per- 
manent solution?  Either  they  were  both  weak  to  start  on, 
or  they  have  deteriorated.  The  latter  view  probably  is  cor- 
rect if  we  may  judge  by  the  findings  'in  the  samples  used  in 
the  July  series  of  assays.  This  specimen  when  tested  on  the 
cock's  comb  produced  no  cyanosis  whatever,  even  when  it  was 
given  in  4  c.c.  and  0  c.c.  doses.  An  extract  from  our  records 
on  one  cock  will  show  very  plainly  its  lack  of  activity. 

"CoCK :  Weight,  1,285  grams.  Aug.  26,  1910.  Injected  1  c.c. 
Spanish  fluid  extract.  Distinct  cyanosis.  Same  intensity  as  3  c.c. 
ergotole  injected  to-day.  Aug.  29,  1910.  Injected  6  c.c.  ergone. 
No  action.  Aug.  31,  1910.  Injected  1.5  c.c.  Spanish  fluid  extract. 
Distinct  cyanosis. 

"This  protocol  shows  the  cock  was  reacting  well  to  other 
preparations,  so  that  the  failure  to  react  must  have  been  clue 
to  the  ergone.  This  same  specimen  of  ergone  when  adminis- 
tered in  1  c.c.  doses  to  a  cat  called  forth  uterine  contractions 
which  were  not  as  strong  as  were  being  produced  by  0.1  c.c. 


330  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

doses  of  Spanish  fluid  extract.  Clearly  then  the  ergone  was 
nearly  inactive  and  must  have  deteriorated  greatly. 

"An  interesting  point  in  connection  with  the  assay  of  ergone 
is  the  effect  it  produced  on  the  blood-pressure.  By  reference 
to  the  tables  [for  which  the  Bulletin  must  be  consulted. — Ed.] 
it  will  be  seen  that  in  both  series  it  is  very  weak  when  meas- 
ured by  this  standard.  This  is  especially  noticeable  in  the 
sample  used  in  December,  which  was  quite  active  when  tested 
on  the  cock's  comb  and  uterus,  yet  it  raised  the  blood-pres- 
sure only  9  per  cent.,  in  comparison  with  the  38  per  cent, 
increase  produced  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.'s  fluid  extract. 
This  lack  of  activity  on  the  blood-pressure  is  probably  ex- 
plained by  a  relatively  small  quantity  of  putrefactive  amines, 
as  ergone  is  said  to  be  made  under  aseptic  conditions. 

"Chemical  methods  for  the  assay  of  ergot  show  little  rela- 
tion to  biologic  methods,  and  the  latter  should  be  used  as  a 
means  of  insuring  those  who  require  this  drug  a  remedy  both 
potent  and  of  uniform  strength. 

"For  this  purpose,  the  method  using  the  cock's  comb  is 
recommended  on  practical  grounds  rather  than  that  using  the 
uterus. 

"Ergot  preparations  should  be  marked  with  the  date  of 
manufacture. 

"The  fluid  extracts  of  ergot  examined  varied  in  strength 
greatly,  some  being  only  about  one-fourth  as  strong  as  a  prep- 
aration freshly  made  from  Spanish  ergot.  Non-pharmacopeial 
preparations  showed  even  greater  discrepancies  between  the 
strengths  claimed  and  those  actually  found. 

"Until  more  reliable  methods  of  manufacture  are  found 
makers  of  ergot  preparations  would  be  wise  to  exclude  the 
phrase,  'ergot  in  permanent  solution,'  from  their  advertising 
literature.  They  may  thus  avoid  misbranding." — (From  The 
Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  1.',,  1911.) 


MEAT    EXTRACTS    AND    MEAT    JUICES* 

Their  Composition  and  Relative  Values 
The  Bureau  of  Chemistry  of  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture has  recently  given  in  Bulletin  No.  114  much  new  and 
valuable  data  regarding  the  commercial  meat  products.  The 
work  contained  in  this  bulletin  is  practically  an  elaboration 
or  continuation  of  that  published  in  THE  JOURNAL  of  May  11, 
1907,  p.  1612.  It  was  taken  up  to  determine  the  condition 
and  quality  of  meat  preparations  in  general  and  from  the 
results  obtained  to  prepare  tentative  standards  for  the  prep- 
aration and  composition  of  such  meat  preparations.  The  re- 
sults as  well  as  the  methods  of  analysis  of  many  meat  prod- 
ucts are  given,  showing  the  composition  and  relative  value 
of  the  various  preparations.  The  comments  of  many  inves- 
tigators regarding  the  food  value  of  such  products  is  a.lso  a 

*  See    Index    for    the    Report    of  the    Council    on    I'linrmary    ;md 
Chemistry  on  "Meat  and  Beef  Juices." 


337 

valuable  contribution  to  the  knowledge  of  meat  extracts,  and 
will  help  in  deciding  the  real  value  of  the  preparations. 

The  preparations  taken  up  are  divided  into  three  general 
classes:  (1)  Solid  and  Fluid  Meat  Extracts;  (2)  Meat 
Juices;  (3)  Miscellaneous  Preparations.  For  each  of  these 
the  tentative  standards  submitted  by  the  Committee  on  Food 
Standards  of  the  Association  of  Official  Agricultural  Chemists 
are  given  along  with  the  tabulated  results  of  the  chemical 
analysis.  The  preparations  examined  showed,  for  the  most 
part,  that  they  conformed  to  the  standards,  and  only  those 
which  are  at  variance  in  one  or  more  particulars  will  be  men- 
tioned in  this  review. 

SOLID    MEAT    EXTBACTS 

For  solid  meat  extracts  the  following  are  the  requirements: 

"Meat  extract  is  the  product  obtained  by  extracting  meat 
with  boiling  water  and  concentrating  the  liquid  portion  by 
evaporation  after  removal  of  fat,  and  contains  not  less  than 
75  per  cent,  total  solids  of  which  not  over  27  per  cent,  is  ash 
and  not  over  12  per  cent,  is  sodium  chlorid  (calculated  from 
the  total  chlorin  present),  not  over  0.6  per  cent,  is  fat  and 
not  less  than  7  per  cent,  is  nitrogen.  The  nitrogenous  com- 
pounds contain  not  less  than  40  per  cent,  of  meat  bases  and 
not  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  kreatin." 

With  the  above  as  the  standard,  several  of  the  solid  meat 
extract  preparations  examined  were  not  up  to  grade  on  one 
or  more  points,  though  in  some  cases  it  is  true  they  were 
very  slightly  below  the  standard  set.  The  following  products 
were  found  wanting  in  some  respects  and  the  requirements 
which  they  failed  to  meet  are  given: 

"REX"  BRAND  BEEF  EXTBACT  (Cudahy  Packing  Co.,  Omaha) 
contained  26.50  per  cent,  water  instead  of  the  standard  25 
per  cent. 

EXTBACT  OF  BEEF  PBEMIEB  (Libby,  McNeill  &  Libby,  Chi- 
cago) contained  30.92  per  cent,  of  ash  instead  of  the  standard 
27  per  cent.;  18.32  per  cent,  of  sodium  chlorid  (standard,  12 
prr  cent.);  6.02  of  nitrogen  (standard,  7  per  cent.). 

BEEF  EXTRACT  (Swift  &  Co.,  Chicago)  contained  13.51  per 
cent,  sodium  chlorid  (standard,  12  per  cent.);  6.60  per  cent, 
nitrogen  (standard,  7  per  cent.). 

BEEF  EXTBACT,  COIN  SPECIAL  (G.  H.  Hammond  Co.,  Ham- 
mond, Ind.)  contains  13.25  per  cent,  of  sodium  chlorid  (stand- 
ard, 12  per  cent.);  and  6.86  per  cent,  nitrogen  (standard,  7 
per  cent.). 

With  these  few  exceptions,  the  solid  meat  extracts  were 
found  to  comply  with  the  standards  given. 

FLUID    MEAT    EXTBACTS 

For  fluid  meat  extract  the  following  standards  have  been 
suggested : 

"Fluid  meat  extract  is  identical  with  meat  extract  except 
that  it  is  concentrated  to  a  lower  degree  and  contains  not 


338 

more  than  75  per  cent,  and  not  less  than  50  per  cent,  of  total 
solids." 

According  to  this  standard  all  excepting  one  of  the  fluid 
meat  extracts  examined  were  found  to  be  below  grade  in  one 
respect,  that  of  solids.  The  following  are  preparations  ex- 
amined and  the  percentage  of  solids  found: 

Per  cent. 
CONCENTBATED     FLUID     BEEF     EXTRACT      (Armour     &     Co., 

Chicago)     42.25 

MEAT  JUICE    (Valentine's  Meat  Juice  Co.,  Richmond,  Va.)  .42.36 

BEEF  JUICE    (John  Wyeth  &  Bro.,  Philadelphia) 41.16 

VIGORAL   (Armour  &  Co.,  Chicago) 50.06 

"REX"    FLUID    BEEF    EXTRACT     (Cudahy    Packing    Co., 

Omaha)    44.01 

FLUID  EXTRACT  OF  BEEF   (Cibilis  Co.,  New  York) 35.37 

FLUID  BEEF  JELLY   (Mcsquera- Julia  Food  Co.,  Detroit) .  .31.03 
Special  notice  is  directed  to  the  price  of  some  of  these  prep- 
arations,  which   in   spite    of   their   large    water   content,   are 
higher  priced  than  some  of  the  solid  meat  extracts. 

MEAT    JTIICES 

The  following  is  given  as  the  standard  for  preparations  of 
meat  juice: 

"Meat  juice  ...  is  the  fluid  portion  of  muscle  fiber  ob- 
tained by  pressure  or  otherwise,  and  may  be  concentrated  by 
evaporation  at  a  temperature  below  the  coagulating  point  of 
the  soluble  proteids.  The  solids  contain  not  more  than  15 
per  cent,  of  ash,  not  more  than  2.5  per  cent,  of  sodium  chlorid 
(calculated  from  the  total  chlorin  present),  not  more  than  4 
per  cent,  nor  less  than  2  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid  (P200), 
and  not  less  than  12  per  cent,  of  nitrogen.  The  nitrogenous 
bodies  contain  not  less  than  35  per  cent,  of  coagulable  pro 
teids  and  not  more  than  40  per  cent,  of  meat  bases." 

It  is  especially  noticeable  among  the  meat  juices,  so  called, 
that  none  shows  any  appreciable  amount  of  coagulable  pro- 
teids. Valentine's  Meat  Juice  and  Wyeth's  Beef  Juice,  be- 
sides being  below  the  standard  in  total  solids  as  fluid  r\- 
tracts,  are  misbranded  when  called  meat  or  beef  juices,  as  can 
readily  be  seen  by  comparing  the  results  of  the  analyses  and 
the  standard. 

Wyeth's  Beef  Juice  is  advertised  as  containing  "all  the 
albuminous  principles  of  beef  in  an  active  and  soluble  form" 
and  "in  an  unaltered  form" — two  statements  that  are  on  the 
face  of  them  untrue  and  misleading.  To  say  that  all  the 
albuminous  principles  of  meat  are  present  is  to  say  that  not 
only  the  juice  of  the  meat  but  all  the  fiber  is  present,  which 
evidently  is  not  true.  Then,  again,  to  say  that  it  is  present 
in  an  unaltered  form  is  far  from  the  facts,  for,  as  is  stated 
on  page  18  of  the  Bulletin:  "It  appears  impracticable  to  pre- 
pare a  true  meat  juice  for  market,  as  the  temperature  neces- 
sary for  the  preservation  of  food  products  in  hermetically 
sealed  packages  coagulates  the  proteids  and  changes  the  na- 


MI8OELLANT  339 

ture  of  the  product."  On  page  55:  "When  prepared  under 
the  best  possible  conditions  a  commercial  meat  extract  is,  of 
necessity,  in  order  that  it  may  not  spoil,  deprived  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  coagulable  proteids,  which  constitute  the 
chief  nutritious  elements  of  the  juice." 

On  examining  the  tables  of  analysis,  it  is  seen  that  Wyeth's 
Beef  Juice  contains  but  23  per  cent,  of  its  total  proteids  in  a 
coagulable  form,  while  the  standard  calls  for  35  per  cent., 
thus  showing  it  to  be  no  more  valuable  as  a  food  product 
than  any  other  so-called  meat  juice,  the  statements  of  the 
manufacturers  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

In  the  case  of  Valentine's  Meat  Juice  we  note  a  large  dis- 
crepancy between  the  standard  requirements  and  the  results 
of  the  government  analysis,  for  instead  of  the  proteid  mat- 
ter containing  35  per  cent,  in  the  coag-ulable  form,  it  contains 
but  1.6  per  cent.  These  figures  show,  then,  that  Valentine's 
preparation  contains  practically  no  coagulable  proteids,  and 
since  the  quantity  of  these  measures  the  food  value  of  such 
preparations,  the  conclusion  must  be  drawn  that  Valentine's 
Meat  Juice  has  practically  no  value  as  a  food  and  should 
certainly  not  be  classed  as  a  meat  juice. 

Bovinine,  another  widely  advertised  meat  preparation, 
which,  according  to  statements  on  "The  Bovinine  Co.'s"  letter 
head,  is  "a  concentrated  beef  juice"  and  "the  only  perfect 
food  in  the  world,"  was  analyzed  and  found  below  the  stand- 
ard set  for  meat  juices,  since  it  contains  only  3.38  per  cent, 
of  coagulable  proteids.  Yet  in  spite  of  this  discrepancy,  the 
manufacturers  of  Bovinine  persist  in  exploiting  it  as  a  food, 
stating  it  to  be  "  .  .  .  a  concentrated  easily  assimilable, 
nitrogenous  food,"  and  in  another  place  it  is  stated  that 
Bovinine  "is  an  ideal  food."  As  it  is  deficient  in  coagulable 
proteids  and  thus  below  the  requirements  as  a  food,  it  is 
misbranded  when  called  a  food  of  any  aort,  for  to  quote 
again  the  Bulletin,  page  55:  "  .  .  .  meat  extracts  .  .  . 
must  not  be  looked  on  as  representing  in  any  notable  degree 
the  food  value  of  the  beef  or  other  meat  from  which  they  are 
derived";  and,  again:  "They  are  not,  however,  concentrated 
foods,  having,  on  the  contrary,  but  comparatively  little 
nutritive  value." 

Taken  individually  or  as  a  class,  meat  extracts  are  not  to 
be  considered  as  foods,  and  should,  therefore,  not  be  adver- 
tised as  such,  a  conclusion  which  the  government  officials 
have  come  to  and  voiced  in  the  conclusion  of  the  Bulletin  as 
follows : 

VALUE   AND    LIMITATIONS 

"It  seems  to  be  the  consensus  of  opinion  among  scientific 
investigators  who  have  studied  this  question  that  the  food 
value  of  these  meat  extracts  is  rather  limited,  and  although 
they  are  a  source  of  energy  to  the  body  they  must  not  be 
looked  on  as  representing  in  any  notable  degree  the  food  value 


340  PROPAGANDA     l-'fUt     REFORM 

of  the  beef  or  other  meat  from  which  they  are  derived.  When 
prepared  under  the  best  possible  conditions  a  commercial 
meat  extract  is  of  necessity,  in  order  that  it  may  not  spoil, 
deprived  of  the  greater  part  of  the  coagulable  proteids,  which 
constitute  the  chief  nutritious  elements  of  the  juice." — (From 
The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  23,  1908.) 


PHARMACEUTICAL  MANUFACTURERS  AND  THE  GREAT 
AMERICAN  FRAUD 

At  various  times  we  have  given  more  or  less  complete 
accounts  of  the  prosecutions  the  United  States  Government  has 
brought  against  nostrum  exploiters  under  the  Food  and  Drugs 
Act.  One  of  the  more  recent  of  these,  while  of  comparatively 
little  interest  per  se,  is  of  importance  to  the  medical  profession, 
because  of  certain  elements  connected  with  it.  The  case  is 
known  technically  as  "Notice  of  Judgment  No.  284"  and  deals 
with  the  "Alleged  Misbranding  of  Danderine."  The  gist  of  the 
case  is  as  follows:  Casks  of  Danderine — a  widely  advertised 
"hair  tonic" — were  shipped  in  carload  lots  from  Michigan  to 
West  Virginia,  where  the  product  was  bottled,  labeled  and  put 
in  condition  to  be  retailed.  Danderine  contains  a  percentage 
of  alcohol  which,  while  given  on  the  labels  of  the  bottles  in 
which  it  is  sold,  was  not  stated  on  the  casks  in  which  the 
preparation  was  shipped  in  bulk.  The  government  sought  to 
confiscate,  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act,  sixty-five  casks  thus 
shipped  because  the  quantity  or  proportion  of  alcohol  in  the 
casks  was  not  stated.  The  Knowlton  Danderine  Company 
resisted  the  confiscation  and  the  court  upheld  the  company's 
claim. 

The  point  in  this  case  which  is — or  should  be — of  interest  to 
the  medical  profession  is  to  be  found  in  the  "statement  of 
facts"  presented  by  the  Knowlton  Danderine  Company  in  its 
own  defense.  Here  it  is  said  that:  "Parke,  Davis  &  Co., 
who  are  mentioned  in  the  said  libel  as  shippers  .  .  .  are 
under  contract  with  the  said  Knowlton  Danderine  Company 
.  .  .  to  compound  the  said  formula  .  .  .'  Elsewhere  it 
is  stated:  "Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  were  .  .  .  the  manufac- 
turing agents,  under  contract,  of  the  owner,  the  Dauderine 
Company  .  .  ." 

This  evidently  means  that  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  who  are 
generally  supposed  to  manufacture  only  "ethical"  prepara- 
tions—proprietary or  otherwise— and  as  such  to  desire  the 
respect  and  good  wishes  of  the  medical  profession,  are  in  the 
business  of  furnishing  the  supplies  for  nostrum  venders.  What 
Danderine  is,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  specify.  The  widely 
distributed  advertisements  of  this  "hair  tonic"  nostrum  with 
the  slogan:  "Danderine  Grows  Hair  and  We  Can  Prove  It" 
are  sufficiently  well-known  to  all  who  read  to  make  a  lengthy 
disquisition  on  the  product  unnecessary. 


MISCELLANY  34 1 

It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  that  according 
to  newspaper  dispatches  the  Danderine  Company  has  absorbed 
the  Sterling  Remedy  Company,  which  exploits  "Cascarets." 
Three  years  ago  a  physician,  who  is  also  a  pharmacist,  wrote 
to  the  Medical  World  regarding  the  manufacture  of  Cas- 
carets : 

"...  I  have  positive  evidence,  which  I  will  gladly  submit,  that 
P.,  D.  &  Co.,  make  all  of  them  [Cascarets],  and  that  they  have  a 
contract  with  the  Cascaret  people  not  to  make  anything  similar  for 
.any  one  else." 

In  the  circular  which  comes  in  the  Danderine  packages  two 
other  "specialties"  are  advertised:  "Neuralgine"  for  "sick, 
weak,  tired  nerves"  and  "Drake's  Palmetto  Compound"  for 
"weak  stomachs,  sluggish  livers,  disordered  kidneys"  and  vari- 
ous other  derangements  of  the  system.  The  question  naturally 
arises,  are  these,  too,  shipped  in  casks  from  Parke,  Davis  &  Co., 
and  merely  bottled  and  labelled  in  West  Virginia? 

Not  that  the  Danderine  case  is  the  first  one  in  which  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.  have  been  exposed  as  manufacturers  of  nostrum 
supplies.  "Vitaopathy"  a  method  of  "treatment"  practised  by 
the  notorious  New  York  Institute  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 
in  the  person  of  "Prof."  Adkin  and  apparently  consisting  of 
"absent  treatment"  and  pills,  was  finally  put  out  of  business 
by  a  fraud-order  from  the  post  office  department.  The  concern 
used  to  advertise: 

"In  Professor  Adkin's  laboratory,  his  chemists  are  daily  engaged 
in  extracting  the  life-and-health-giving  principle  from  rare  vege- 
tables, fruits  and  plants." 

"Prof."  Adkin  had  no  laboratory;  his  chemists,  according 
to  the  government  report,  were  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  from  whom 
he  purchased  the  tablets  which  formed  part  of  his  stock-in- 
trade  of  quackery. 

The  Nutriola  Company  of  Chicago  was  declared  fraudulent 
by  the  postal  authorities  and  a  full  account  of  the  methods 
of  this  fake  medical  concern  appeared  in  THE  JOURNAL,  April, 
28,  1906.  Nutriola  was  advertised  as: 

"The  greatest  Chemical-Medical  Preparation  ever  prepared  by  the 
skill  of  man." 

"Nutriola  and  Nature  are  the  only  invincible  conquerors  of  dis- 
eases ever  known." 

The  promoter  of  this  scheme  was  one  Edward  F.  Hanson, 
who  was  questioned  by  the  government  inspectors  regarding 
the  manufacture  of  the  Nutriola  nostrum.  Quoting  from  the 
government  report: 

"Q.  Please  name  the  chemists  who  now  manufacture  the  remedies 
of  the  Nutriola  Company." 

"A.  Parke,  Davis  &  Company,  Detroit ;  E.  L.  Patch  Manufacturing 
Company,  Stoneham,  Mass. ;  Seabury  &  Johnson,  New  York." 

Not  that  the  course  pursued  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  is  by 
any  means  an  exceptional  one  in  the  pharmaceutical  world.  It 
may  be  recalled  that  THE  JOURNAL  has  previously  referred  to 


342  PROT'.\(!.l\D.l      l-'nlt     ItKFnilM 

the  fact  that  Sharp  &  Dolmie  are  reported  to  make  or  to  have 
made  the  "Getwell  Tablets"  for  the  "patent  medicine"  con- 
cern which  exploits  -the  nostrum ;  and  that  Frederick  Stearns 
&  Co.  make  or  did  make  the  widely  advertised  "cures"  Shac 
and  Zymole  Trokeys  also  has  been  mentioned.  That  Seabury 
&  Johnson  made  preparations  for  a  fake  medicine  concern  was 
brought  to  light  by  Mr.  Adams  in  the  "Great  American  Fraud" 
series.  And  unquestionably  there  are  many  others.  The  atti- 
tude taken  by  such  houses  seems  to  be  that  they  are  willing 
to  furnish  anything  in  the  pharmaceutical  line  that  anyone  is 
willing  to  pay  for,  whether  it  is  for  legitimate  use  of  the 
physician  or  pharmacist  or  for  furthering  the  business  by 
which  the  ignorant  or  gullible  sick  are  humbugged  and  de- 
frauded.— (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  July  2,  1910.) 


ODIN'S  ALLEGED  DISCOVERY  OF  A  "CANCER  GERM" 
Our  readers  may  remember  that  the  most  sensational  matter 
appearing  in  the  newspapers  regarding  Dr.  Friedinann's  tuber- 
culosis "cure"  was  in  the  form  of  a  syndicate  letter  by  William 
Shepherd,  a  newspaper  correspondent.  The  preceding  week  the 
newspapers  had  a  similar  sensational  letter  by  the  same  writer 
concerning  an  alleged  discovery  of  the  cancer  germ  by  a  Dr. 
Odin  of  Paris.  An  article  by  Dr.  L.  K.  Hirschberg  of  Baltimore 
regarding  this  also  appeared  in  the  Technical  World  M<i(/n-Jin  . 
thus  adding,  as  it  were,  a  professional  endorsement  to  the 
matter.  On  account  of  this  publicity  our  readers  may  be  inter- 
ested in  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  Dr.  Edwin 
Walker  of  Evansville,  Ind. 

'  .  .  .  One  of  my  chief  reasons  for  stopping  in  Paris 
was  to  investigate  the  alleged  "cancer  cure"  of  Dr.  Gaston  Odin, 
a  report  of  which  was  published  in  newspapers  throughout  the 
United  States. 

"With  a  very  intelligent  interpreter,  I  went  to  his  address, 
as  given  by  the  directory,  63  Rue  Vaman.  This  is  in  a  cheap 
quarter  and  the  place  proved  to  be  a  very  modest  apartment 
house.  The  janitor  informed  us  that  our  doctor  had  just 
removed  to  Boulevard  des  Invalides,  and  there  we  found  him 
in  elegant  apartments,  newly  furnished  in  the  most  expensive 
manner.  The  neighborhood  was  one  of  the  best.  Evidently 
prosperity  was  coming  from  some  source. 

"We  were  ushered  in  by  a  lady  (who  proved  to  be  the 
doctor's  wife)  and  were  asked  to  wait  until  the  doctor  had 
finished  his  lunch;  during  this  time  we  could  inspect  the 
gorgeous  furniture  (all  new). 

"Presently  he  entered,  smoking  a  cigaret.  He  was  small, 
about  5  feet  5  inches,  weighed  about  120  pounds,  and  was  n 
typical  Frenchman,  about  45  years  old,  I  should  think.  He 
looked  well  fed  and  well  wined.  He  was  very  pleasant  and 
talkative.  His  gtorv  was  about  as  follows: 


MISCELLANY  343 

"He  had  been  working  alone  on  the  cancer  problem  for 
fifteen  years  and  had  exhausted  all  his  means.  He  was  con- 
nected with  no  hospital  and  had  no  aid  from  any  one.  He  had 
discovered  the  germ  of  cancer  in  the  blood  and  had  also  found 
a  remedy  in  a  serum  which  would  absolutely  cure  all  cases. 

"I  asked  him  his  methods  of  finding  the  germ,  but  he  said 
he  was  not  prepared  to  demonstrate  it  to  me  as  his  laboratory 
was  in  disorder. 

"I  aske'd  him  if  he  had  published  anything,  and  he  gave  me 
a  short  article,  merely  stating  that  he  had  found  these  germs 
but  giving  nothing  of  his  methods,  nor  any  proof,  experimental 
or  otherwise,  that  the  'germs'  were  really  those  of  cancer. 

"I  then  asked  him  about  his  serum.  This  was  prepared  by 
a  process  which  he  kept  secret;  he  injected  it  under  the  skin, 
not  at  the  site  of  the  cancer. 

''I  asked  him  then  if  he  was  prepared  to  sell  or  formulate 
the  serum  to  others.  To  this  lie  answered  that  the  French 
government  would  not  allow  him  to  sell  a  serum  unless  experts 
would  pass  on  its  value  as  well  as  its  harmlessness.  With 
this  he  broke  out  into  a  denunciation  of  governments  in 
general  and  the  medical  profession  in  particular,  because  they 
interfered  with  his  freedom  in  the  matter.  He  was  very 
anxious  to  know  if  he  could  do  better  in  America.  He  was 
very  willing  to  consider  a  proposition  to  buy  the  right  to  use 
his  remedy  elsewhere. 

"I  swallowed  all  this  with  a  straight  face  and  pretended 
great  interest.  He  then  volunteered  to  show  me  his  cases  in 
proof  of  what  he  had  said.  There  were  about  a  dozen  patients 
waiting  at  the  time.  The  first  he  brought  in  was  a  woman 
with  a  typical  carcinoma  of  the  breast,  nearly  as  large  as  an 
English  walnut.  There  were  no  enlarged  glands  under  the  arm. 
She  had  only  a  few  treatments  and  from  her  own  statement 
there  had  been  no  change.  The  patient  should  have  been 
operated  on  at  once. 

"Then  came  two  men  suffering  with  cancer  of  the  rectum; 
both  said  that  they  were  better,  but  from  the  history  I  got 
from  them  I  think  they  both  had  hemorrhoids.  They  cer- 
tainly did  not  look  as  if  they  were  suffering  from  cancer. 

"The  next  was  a  man  who  undoubtedly  had  cancer  of  the 
larynx;  he  had  been  treated  a  month  and  said  that  he  felt 
better;  but  he  could  hardly  talk  and  certainly  was  in  a  very 
bad  condition,  lacking  much  of  being  cured. 

"The  next  was  a  woman  of  29.  She  had  a  tumor  of  the 
breast  which  had  been  removed  by  incision  below;  the  breast 
had  not  been  removed.  She  said"  that  she  had  a  return  and 
that  it  had  pained  her.  There  was  no  evidence  of  return,  no 
enlarged  glands;  in  fact,  every  evidence  showed  that  the 
trouble  was  benign  and  that  the  treatment  had  affected  the 
patient's  imagination  only. 

"I  later  inquired  about  Dr.  Odin's  professional  standing  and 
found  that  he  was  connected  with  no  hospital,  and  with  no 
medical  organization  so  far  as  I  could  learn;  that  he  had 
published  nothing  and  made  no  demonstration  of  his  discovery. 
He  lias  never  done  any  work  on  lines  of  research  or  investiga- 
tion that  anv  one  knows.  In  short,  he  claims  to  have  made 


344  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

the  greatest  discovery  of  the  age,  but  nothing  in  his  previous 
work  or  present  evidence  supports  that  claim. 

"He  did  not  appear  to  be  overjoyed  that  he  had  found  the 
greatest  boon  to  the  human  race,  but  he  seemed  very  anxious 
to  make  money,  as  he  says  only  for  his  wife  and  children; 
he  cannot  afford  to  give  it  to  the  public  on  their  account. 
He  said  that  if  some  of  our  rich  philanthropists  would  give 
him  enough  cash  he  would  publish  it. 

"My  guide  said  that  Dr.  Odin  was  not  an  educated 'man  and 
spoke  the  'commonest'  French. 

"To  me  there  was  a  very  sad  side  to  this  interview.  He 
took  me  into  his  private  office  and  showed  me  a  large  number 
of  letters,  most  of  them  from  America.  These  were  from 
unfortunate  sufferers  from  the  worst  of  all  diseases,  who,  in 
desperation,  are  appealing  to  this  miserable  little  charlatan 
for  relief;  and  this  has  been  brought  about  by  the  unfair  and 
distorted  report  published  in  papers  which  pretend  to  serve 
their  patrons.  .  .  ." — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Feb. 
8,  1913.) 


OZONIZED    TESTIMONIALS 
Obtaining  Clinical   Reports  on  "Oxyoline  Therapy" 

A  few  weeks  ago  we  called  attention  to  the  method 
adopted  by  the  proprietor  of  a  medical  journal  in  obtaining 
testimonials  favorable  to  products  advertised  in  his  publica- 
tion. As  will  be  remembered,  the  method  consisted  in  send- 
ing out  letters  to  his  subscribers  telling  them  how  highly  he. 
the  proprietor,  valued  the  products  and  asking  physicians  if 
they  would  not  "cooperate"  by  writing  their  opinion  of  the 
same  products.  A  crude  modification  of  this  method  of 
obtaining  testimony  favorable  to  products  advertised  in  med- 
ical journals  has  recently  been  called  to  our  attention. 

The  American  Journal  of  Physiologic  Therapeutics  is  the 
somewhat  imposing  title  of  a  publication  that  is  said  to  be 
"a  practical  journal  of  progress  in  non-medicinal  therapy." 
Incidentally,  the  advertising  pages  of  this  non-medicinal  pub- 
lication are  devoted  largely  to  medicinal  products!  The 
proprietor  of  this  journal  is  also  the  proprietor  of  another 
journal  which  is  said  to  be  "a  journal  of  commercial  medi- 
cine." Both  of  these  journals  carry  advertisements — large 
ones — of  a  device  known  as  the  "Oxyoline  Apparatus,"  which 
is  supposed  to  depend  for  its  action  mainly  on  its  ability  to 
produce  ozone.  Moreover,  the  proprietor  of  these  journals  is 
understood  to  be  the  advertising  agent  for  the  concern  that 
exploits  this  "apparatus!"  What  the  Oxyoline  machine  will 
not  do  in  the  way  of  abolishing  or  preventing  disease  is  negli- 
gible— if  the  claims  of  the  promoters  are  to  be  believed,  which 
they  are  not.  So  much  by  way  of  explanation. 

Three  weeks  ago,1  in  commenting  on  "The  Alleged  Hygienic 
Value  of  Ozone,"  we  seem  to  have  hurt  "business" — advertis- 

1.  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M    A.,  Oct.  21,  1911,  p.  1370. 


MISCELLANY  345 

ing  and  other.  At  any  rate,  the  following  letter  from  the 
publisher  and  editor  of  the  American  Journal  of  Physiologic 
Therapeutics  has  been  received  by  physicians: 

October  27,  1911. 

My  dear  Doctor: — I  have  just  read  a  most  remarkable  editorial 
in  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  21,  1911,  page  1370,  entitled  "The 
Alleged  Hygienic  Value  of  Ozone." 

Does  your  clinical  experience  prove  this  or  not?  I  am  tempted  to 
make  a  "big  stir"  regarding  this  wholly  unwarranted  attack  on 
Ozone,  and  I  am  very  anxious  to  produce  an  interesting  symposium 
on  Ozone  in  the  next  issue  of  Physiologic  Therapeutics.  Will  you 
not  send  me  four  or  five  hundred  words  for  publication,  giving  your 
personal  opinion  regarding  this  matter  as  based  on  your  own  clin- 
ical experience? 

If,  in  your  reading,  you  have  found  any  articles  on  this  subject 
or  any  clippings  relating  to  Ozone  or  Oxyoline  therapy,  and  you 
can  send  them  along,  I  will  be  very  grateful  indeed,  and  in  remuner- 
ation for  your  cooperation  will  be  pleased  to  give  yon  a  one  year's 
subscription  to  Physiologic  Therapeutics  or  a  five  years'  subscrip- 
tion to  Successful  Medicine. 

I  await  your  prompt  reply,  and,  to  facilitate  this,  a  self-addressed, 
stamped  envelope  is  enclosed. 

Very  cordially  yours, 

PHYSIOLOGIC  THERAPEUTICS 

Henry  R.  narrower, 

Managing  Editor. 

The  quid  pro  quo  is  perfectly  evident.  Stated  a  little  more 
baldly  this  letter  seems  to  mean:  ''Send  us  a  testimonial  on 
the  'Oxyoline  Apparatus'  and  we  will  give  you  a  year's  sub- 
subscription  to  our  journal."  The  arrangement  must  be  an 
eminently  satisfactory  one.  The  advertiser  is  "boosted"; 
the  advertising  agent — the  editor  and  publisher  in  this  instance 
— gets  more  business;  the  original  article  department  of  the 
journal  is  cheaply  and  easily  filled;  the  subscription  list  is 
boomed  with  what  the  postal  authorities  we  presume  will  con- 
sider bona.  fide  subscribers,  and  altogether  it  is  a  very  admir- 
able arrangement — for  everyone  except  the  public  and  the  med- 
ical profession. 

Those  physicians  who  read  Mr.  Irwin's  admirable  series  of 
articles  on  "The  American  Newspaper"  doubtless  had  their 
indignation  aroused  when  they  learned  that  certain  large 
metropolitan  dailies  would  have  their  dramatic  critics  write 
fulsome  puffs  of  current  theatrical  attractions  on  the  tacit 
understanding  that  the  theatrical  company  would  purchase 
large  advertising  space.  And  yet  this  exhibition  of  venality 
only  affected  the  public's  pocketbook;  it  in  no  way  jeopardized 
its  health.  Of  course,  such  dramatic  criticism  is  a  farce; 
but  what  about  "scientific  criticism"  of  therapeutic  agents 
that  is  purchased  at  the  price  of  a  subscription  to  a  medical 
journal  by  those  who  are  financially  interested  in  the  exploita- 
tion of  such  agents? — (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A.,  Nov.  11, 
I!)  If.) 


340  l'l{()l'A(i.l\UA      t'OR     It  EH  Hi. M 

SOUR    MILK    THERAPY 

The  present  interest  in  what  may  be  called  "sour  milk 
therapy"  in  intestinal  putrefaction  makes  the  article  by  P.  d. 
Heinemann  in  this  issue  a  timely  one.  While  much  of  the 
work  done  on  the  subject  seems  to  show  that  lactic  acid  or 
lactic  ferments  possess  value  in  cases  of  intestinal  putretac- 
tion,  the  question  has  in  no  sense  been  settled.  Still  less  lias 
it  been  proved  that  the  Bacillus  liilym  iciix  a-  a  lactic  acid 
producing  organism  possesses  the  advantages  in  arresting. 
putrefaction  which  Metchnikoff  originally  claimed  for  it.  lie- 
cause  of  the  unpleasant  taste  produced  by  the  B.  bul</<irini*. 
Metchnikoff  has  urged  that  the  paralactic  bacillus  (.SV/v///o- 
coccus  lacticus)  be  used  in  combination  with  it.  It  is  there- 
fore doubtful  which  of  these  two  organisms  is  respon>ib!:-  for 
any  resultant  benefit. 

UNJUSTIFIED    CLAIMS 

Heinemann's  experiments  show  that  the  claims  made  for  tin- 
various  preparations  on  the  market  for  the  artificial  souring 
of  milk,  are  not  justified  in  the  light  of  our  present  knowledge 
on  the  .subject.  The  question  is  not  whether  lactic  acid,  lactic 
acid  bacteria,  buttermilk  or  sour  milk  has  any  therapeutic 
value,  but,  admitting  that  it  has.  whether  sour  milk  prepared 
with  commercial  cultures  possesses  any  therapeutic  advantage* 
over  milk  naturally  soured.  The  evidence  at  hand  fails  to  give 
the  artificially  soured  produce  any  such  pre-eminence. 

Lactobacilline 

To  consider  the  claims  of  manufacturers  specifically:  Larto- 
bacilline  made  by  the  Lactobacilline  Company  is  said  to  be 
prepared  according  to  Metchnikoff's  directions.  While  Metch- 
nikoff  states  that  yeasts  should  be  absent,  as  their  presence 
encourages  pathogenic  bacteria  in  the  digestive  tract,  Lacto- 
bacilline contains  yeast.  This,  too,  in  spite  of  the  -tatr- 
ment  of-  the  manufacturers,  "it  contains  no  yeast  germs,"  and 
is  "pure  and  absolutely  free  from  all  microbes  except  the 
remedial  lactobacillus  isolated  by  Prof.  Metchnikon".  .  .  ." 

Fermenlactyl 

Fermenlactyl.  which  is  put  on  the  market  by  the  Anglo- 
American  Pharmacal  Company,  is  very  similar  in  every  respect 
to  Lactobacilline.  It,  too,  contains,  besides  the  Bulgarian 
bacillus,  streptococci  and  yeasts.  In  the  advertising  matter 
microscopic  plates  are  reproduced  purporting  to  show  only  the 
"Bulgarian  lactic  acid  bacilli  from  which  "Fermenlactyl  i>  pre- 
pared." As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are  in  addition  to  the  B. 
bulgaricu-s,  other  bacilli,  yeast  cells  and  cocci.  The  claim  of  the 
manufacturers  of  both  Lactobacilline  and  Fermenlactyl  that 
the  Bulgarian  bacillus  is  the  chief  agent,  is  true  only  when 
conditions  are  such  that  the  preparation  of  sour  milk  can  take 


MIItiCELL.\\Y  347 

place  at  a  temperature  considerably  higher  than  that  of 
any  ordinary  room.  This  is  a  somewhat  difficult  matter  when 
the  beverage  is  prepared  in  a  private  house.  When  the  milk 
stands  at  room  temperature  the  common  Streptococcus  lac- 
iicus  becomes  the  predominating  organism.  This  would  be  no 
disadvantage  if  it  had  not  been  claimed  that  the  chief  virtue 
of  milk  soured  by  these  preparations  is  the  presence  of  the 
//.  biih/ni •/n/.v.  This  organism  is  said  to  lodge  permanently  in 
the  digestive  tract  and  to  give  rise  to  the  formation  of  lactic 
acid  in  xtiiln  utmct'iidi  and  thus  inhibit  the  growth  of  putre- 
factive bacteria— a  statement  that  lacks  scientific  proof. 

Kefilac 

Kefilac.  made  by  the  Kefilac  Company,  is  not  a  pure  culture 
<>f  lactic  acid  bacteria  .and  the  sour  milk  prepared  with  this 
ferment  does  not  seem  to  differ  materially  from  ordinary  sour 
milk.  Contrary  to  Metchnikoff's  statement  that  the  alcohol 
contained  in  the  fermented  milk  of  the  Bulgarians  is  of  no 
value,  the  Kefilac  Company  states  that  "through  its  large 
portion  of  water  .  .  .  through  its  carbon  dioxid  and 
through  its  small  per  cent,  of  alcohol,  Kefilac  greatly  influ- 
ences all  the  vital  processes."  Like  the  two  preparations  pre- 
viously mentioned,  it  is  a  "remedy"  for  a  long  list  of  diseases 
including  cancer  of  the  stomach,  rheumatism,  etc. 

Yogurt 

Yogurt  is  another  preparation  of  this  class  made  by  the 
Good  Health  Company,  of  Battle  Creek,  Mich.  It  contains  a 
variety  of  bacteria  and  at  least  one  species  of  yeast  so  that 
the  composition  of  the  fermented  product  is  very  similar  to 
that  of  the  others.  The  term  "meat  bacteria"  is  used  in  the 
advertising  pamphlet,  though  what  is  meant  is  not  altogether 
clear,  since  non-sporing  bacteria  are  killed  if  meat  is  thor- 
oughly cooked.  The  Yogurt  tablets  are  called  an  "antitoxic 
ferment" — whatever  that  may  be.  The  bowels  must  be  kept 
active,  otherwise  "Colax"- — a  "patent  medicine"  put  out  by 
these  people — must  be  used.  The  number  of  diseases  cured  by 
milk  prepared  with  the  Yogurt  tablets  is  enormous.  An 
elaborate  list  of  symptoms  is  given,  some  of  which  may  easily 
be  imagined  by  the  anxious  layman.  In  fact,  the  descriptive 
matter  regarding  Yogurt  reads  very  much  like  a  Lydia  Pink- 
ham  advertisement. 

Lactone 

It  is  claimed  for  Lactone  tablets  by  their  makers,  Parke, 
Davis  &  Company,  that  the  soured  milk  made  with  them 
possesses  certain  advantages  over  ordinary  buttermilk.  The 
statement:  "The  cream  is  left  in  the  milk,  rendering  it  of 
far  greater  nutritive  value"  is  only  partly  true.  If  directions 
are  followed,  the  milk  is  diluted  with  one-third  of  its  volume 


348  I'KOl'AUAXDA     FOIt     It  WO  It. M 

of  water  before  inoculation  and  the  fat,  therefore,  is  nat- 
urally reduced  to  75  per  cent,  of  the  original  value  in  the 
milk.  The  fact,  too,  that  the  casein,  milk  sugar  and  salts 
of  the  milk  are  also  reduced  to  75  per  cent,  of  the  original 
amount  is  not  stated  by  the  manufacturers.  The  casein  is 
certainly  the  most  valuable  part  of  the  milk  and  while  in 
ordinary  buttermilk  only  the  fat-content  is  reduced,  the 
other  constituents  being  in  nearly  the  normal  proportion,  yet 
in  Lactone  buttermilk  there  is  niore  fat  but  less  casein. 
This  is  of  significance  since  it  is  now  fairly  well  established 
that  when  cow's  milk  is  used  the  fat  is  the  cause  of  infantile 
digestive  troubles  rather  than  the  casein. 

The  advertising  matter  goes  on  to   state: 

"In  the  ordinary  method  of.  making  butter  the  milk  is 
allowed  to  sour  from  what  accidental  bacteria  may  get  into  it. 
Usually  the  lactic  acid  germs  predominate,  but  along  with 
these  there  is  always  a  greater  or  less  number  of  putrefactive 
bacteria,  so  that  the  resulting  buttermilk  is  a  mixture  of  true 
lactic  acid,  milk,  and  putrefactive  products."  It  is  difficult 
to  understand  why  putrefactive  bacteria  should  not  be 
present  in  the  milk  when  Lactone  tablets  are  used  but  should 
be  present  in  the  same  milk  when  the  tablets  are  not  used. 
If  the  purest  milk  obtainable  is  used,  the  putrefactive  bac- 
teria which  are  always  present  in  the  milk — even  of  the  best 
grade — will  not  develop  because  the  normal  lactic  acid  bac- 
teria antagonize  them.  It  is  clear  that  the  same  dairyman 
who,  by  'observing  cleanliness  in  his  establishment,  furnishes 
a  good  quality  of  sweet  milk,  will  observe  the  same  care  in 
handling  cream  for  making  butter,  and  his  buttermilk  also 
will  be  wholesome  and  clean. 

USE   OF   COMMERCIAL   "STARTERS" 

More  criticism  of  a  similar  nature  could  be  made  in  regard 
to  the  use  of  commercial  preparations  for  fermenting  milk. 
Where  clean — certified — milk  can  be  obtained  the  use  of 
these  various  preparations  seems  unnecessary.  Inasmuch 
as  it  is  not  always  feasible  to  obtain  certified  raw  milk, 
however,  boiled  or  pasteurized  milk  is  to  be  preferred.  It 
is  here  that  the  artificial  "starter"  is  of  value.  After  the 
first  inoculation,  the  same  product  can  be  obtained  by  in- 
oculating pasteurized  or  boiled  milk  with  a  small  amount  of 
the  first  lot  inoculated,  with  proper  precautions  of  cleanli- 
ness. Once  started,  this  process  may  be  continued  for  a  long 
time  without  having  to  renew  the  "starter."  Those  who 
have  confidence  in  the  merits  of  •  the  Bulgarian  bacillus  of 
Metchnikoff  can  procure  one  of  the  preparations  containing 
this  bacillus  and  then  proceed  in  the  same  manner  as  with 
the  butter  starter.  It  is  entirely  unnecessary,  if  not  mis- 
leading, to  use  fancy  names,  as  fermeiilactyl.  lartoliarillino. 
kelilac.  lactone  or  yogurt,  this  last  name  suggesting  the 


\llsrKI.I..\\Y  349 

original  Bulgarian  fermented  milk,  containing  lactic  acid, 
ak-ohol,  decomposition  products  of  bntterfat  and  of  casein, 
besides  ;i  number  of  microorganisms.  A  simple  name,  appli- 
cable to  all  such  preparations  alike,  as  for  inst;  nee,  "but- 
termilk tablets"  or  "sour  milk  tablets,"  seems  more  rational. 
The  scope  of  Heinemann's  paper  and  the  thoroughness  with 
which  he  treats  the  subject  make  his  article  an  important 
addition  to  the  literature  of  lactic  acid  therapy.  The  med- 
ical profession — and  the  public — is  under  great  obligations  to 
him  for  his  willingness  to  undertake  and  carry  out  these 
important  investigations. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
Jan.  30,  1909.) 

EPINEPHRIN 

The  Question  of  Term  to  Be  Applied  to  the  Active  Principle 
of   the  Suprarenal  Gland 

Some  years  ago  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry 
decided  that  it  was  necessary  to  adopt,  in  each  instance,  a  gen- 
eric term  to  designate  those  products  that  are  on  the  market 
under  two  or  more  proprietary  names.  When  it  came  to  the 
consideration  of  the  various  preparations  of  the  blood-pressure- 
raising  principle  -of  the  suprarenal  gland  which  were  on  the 
market,  it  was  necessary  to  establish  some  name  that  should  be 
common  to  all  of  them.  The  name  adopted  was  "epinephrin." 
This  was  selected  in  part  because  it  was  the  name  under 
which  the  preparation  was  first  called  to  the  attention  of  the 
profession  of  this  country  by  Professor  Abel,  as  will  be  men- 
tioned later.  Further,  the  name  is  one  which  is  as  appropriate 
for  the  preparation  as  any  adopted  by  the  various  manufac- 
turers, and  is,  in  addition,  easily  learned.  We  doubt  if  any 
one  will  deny  that  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry, 
representing  as  it  does  the  American  Medical  Association  and 
the  medical  profession  of  the  United  States,  has  as  much 
right  to  adopt  a  name  for  the  preparation  as  has  any  manu- 
facturing firm. 

For  several  years  THE  JOURNAL  has  endeavored  to  follow 
the  unquestionably  correct  plan  of  using  the  scientific  name 
of  a  drug  or  medicinal  preparation  in  preference  to  the  coined 
trade  name — the  proprietary  name  given  by  the  manufacturer. 
After  the  adoption  of  the  term  "epinephrin,"  THE  JOURNAL 
began  occasionally  to  substitute  that  term  for  the  proprietary 
names  of  suprarenal  products  in  abstracting,  but  only  in 
instances  in  which  it  was  evident  that  the  cuthor  was  using 
the  proprietary  name  in  a  general  sense.  In  original  articles, 
however,  this  was  not  done  without  the  author's  permission.  In 
this  way  it  was  hoped  that  the  medical  profession  would  gradu- 
ally be  led  to  appreciate  the  fact  that  there  is  a  common  name 
for  the  substance.  Only  one  protest  has  been  received,  and 
that  from  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  a  firm  which  sells  the  substance 
under  the  name  "adrenalin."  It  was  as  follows: 


350  pRor.['fi.\\n.\    rnn 

To  tin  Kilitor: — We  wish  to  protest  against  the  unfair  manner  in 
which  one  of  your  department  editors  (Current  Medical  Literature) 
is  treating-  us. 

When  a  reputable  practitioner  reports  to  the  London  Lancet  that 
''the  effects  from  the  treatment  of  the  paroxysms  of  asthma  by  the 
hypodermic  injection  of  adrenalin  are  marvelous,"  your  department 
editor  is  taking  an  unjustifiable  liberty  when  he  changes  the  word 
adrenalin  to  epinephrin.  He  knows,  you  know,  that  there  is  no 
such  thing  on  the  market  as  epinephrin,  and  that  Dr.  Melland  used 
our  product,  adrenalin  :  that  over  90  per  cent,  of  all  clinical  work 
done  with  the  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  gland  is  done  with 
our  preparation,  adrenalin,  and  that  it  is  equally  unfair  to  your 
readers  and  unfair  to  the  manufacturer  to  deliberately  substitute 
any  other  name — just  as  wrong  as  it  would  be  for  a  "druggist  to 
substitute  any  other  product. 

In  the  Wiener  klinische  Wochenschrift,  May  12,  Dr.  Kreibich  did 
not  treat  of  the  subject  which  you  put  in  his  mouth.  His  article 
was  devoted  to  "Adrenalin  Technic  for  Determination  of  Leukocytes 
in  Tissues."  Do  you  think  it  right  to  put  in  his  mouth  a  name  of 
which  Dr.  Kreibich  probably  never  heard  in  his  life? 

It  is  no  answer  to  say  that  you  have  given  the  same  treatment  to 
one  of  our  competitors 'in  abstracting  an  article  from  the  Deiitxciie 
Xeitschrift  fur  CMrurgie.  Dr.  Heidenhain  undoubtedly  never  heard 
of  epinephrin.  He  writes  of  the  behavior  of  a  preparation  made  by 
one  of  our  competitors,  suprarenin. 

We  spent  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  on  experimental  work 
before  our  chemist,  Dr.  Takamine,  isolated  the  active  principle  of 
the  suprarenal  gland.  We  now  pay  him  a  royalty  on  every  grain  of 
the  drug  and  every  ounce  of  the  solution.  You  know  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  on  any  market  as  epinephrin.  And  yet  you  try  to 
deprive  us  of  the  credit  which  is  fairly  ours.  A  fine  premium'you 
are  putting  on  originality,  enterprise  and  research  work  by  commer- 
cial houses.  Here  we  have  enriched  the  practice  of  medicine  with 
the  most  remarkable  agent  discovered  since  Kohler  noted  the  anes- 
thetic properties  of  cocain  (excepting  always  the  antidiphtheritic 
serum)  ;  yet  when  a  reputable  physician  reports  his  experience  to 
the  medical  press,  THE  JOURNAL  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion deliberately  strikes  out  the  name  used  by  the  author  and  sub- 
stitutes one  of  its  own. 

Is  this  the  way  to  teach  ethics  to  others? 

PABKE,  DAVIS  &  Co., 
E.  G.  SWIFT,  General  Manager. 

This  letter  was  received  last  June.  Immediately  after  its 
receipt  we  began  an  investigation  as  to  the  views  of  those 
who  use  the  name  "adrenalin"  in  their  printed  articles.  To 
this  investigation  we  shall  refer  again.  It  is  mentioned  here 
to  explain  why  the  letter  has  not  been  published  before. 

SCIENTIFIC    NAMES   A    NECESSITY 

Aside  from  the  question  of  priority  of  discovery,  this  pro- 
test raises  a  problem  much  broader  and  deeper  than  any  ques- 
tion of  personal  credit  or  commercial  aggrandizement,  one 
which  concerns  the  ethical  and  scientific  status  of  protected 
names.  In  all  countries  the  use  of  trade  names  in  scientific 
treatises  is  discountenanced,  and  for  very  evident  reasons. 
Hence  a  medical  substance  should  have  a  scientific  name  by 
which  it  may  be  known  in  literature  in  contradistinction  to 
any  trade  name  by  which  it  may  be  called.  This  is  especially 
true  when  a  substance  is  sold  under  two  or  more  proprietary 
names. 


V  351 

There  are  already  thirty  or  forty  different  trade  names  for 
tliis  active  principle.1  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  a  hundred 
firms  or  individuals  from  marketing  this  substance,  each  under 
a  different  trade  name.  Can  nothing  then  be  done?  Are  our 
abstracters  to  quote  each  of  these  one  hundred  or  more  names? 
Is  it  necessary  that  a  physician  use  some  trade  name  every 
time  lie  mentions  the  substance? 

If  there  were  but  one  product  on  the  market,  there  might 
be  comparatively  little  objection  to  the  use  of  the  proprietary 
name  as  a  generic  term.  \Yhen  there  are  several,  however, 
the  adoption  of  one  proprietary  name  as  a  generic  term  for  that 
whole  class  of  products  is  an  injustice  to  all  the  other  prod- 
ucts in  that  class.  Moreover,  in  the  inevitable  confusion  that 
results,  science  is  sacrificed  to  commercialism. 

WHAT     A     BRITISH     EDITOR     THINKS 

Very  recently  this  same  point  has  been  discussed  in  British 
medical  and  pharmaceutical  circles.  In  the  London  Lancet, 
Jan.  7,  1911,  p.  73,  there  was  a  short  note  taking  the  editor 
of  the  '"Year  Book  of  Pharmacy"  to  task  for  substituting  a 
generic  term2  for  the  proprietary  name  "adrenalin"  in  giving 
an  abstract  of  an  article  that  had  appeared  in  the  Lancet. 
Mr.  J.  0.  Braithwaite,  the  editor  of  the  "Year  Book  of  Phar- 
macy," in  a  letter  in  the  Lancet,  Jan.  28,  1911,  p.  264,  justifies 
his  course  in  using  a  generic  term2  in  such  cases,  on  the 
reasonable  ground  that  it  tends  "to  lessen  confusion  and  to 
increase  accuracy." 

After  showing  how  the  use  of  a  multitude  of  names  for  the 
same  substance  tends  to  degrade  scientific  work,  Mr.  Braith- 
waite stated  that  to  use,  in  abstracting,  a  generic  word  as  a 
"common  denominator,"  did  injustice  to  no  one.  Rather,  says 
he:  "The  injustice,  if  any,  arises  entirely  from  the  loose 
manner  in  which  trade  names  and  proprietary  euphemisms 
are  applied  to  those  newer  remedies.  This  has  caused  them 
as  a  class  to  fall  into  disrepute,  and  has  reflected  hardly 
on  the  few  more  valuable  therapeutic  articles  among  them 
.  .  .  Moreover,  it  is  no  function  of  the  'Year  Book  of  Phar- 
macy,' in  its-  abstracts  to  advertise  either  'preparations'  or 
persons.  These  abstracts  are  intended  solely  to  record 
scientific  facts  or  practical  details  of  use  to  pharmacists  in 
their  calling,  or  to  those  who  are  interested  in  the  subjects 
with  which  they  deal." 

1.  Among  the   proprietary   preparations   of  the  suprarenal   prin- 
ciple   made    in    the    United    States    are    the    following :      Adneprin 
(Frederick  Stearns  &  Co.).  Adrenalin   (Farke,  Davis  &  Co.),  Adrin 
(II.   K.   Mulford  &  Co.).    Supracapsulin    (Cudahy   Co.),   and   Supra- 
ronalin    (Armour  &  Co.).     In   Europe  among  others  are:   Atrabilin, 
rholafrimim.    Eplrenan,     Hemostasin,     Hcmisine,    Ischemin,     Para- 
nephrin   (Merck).  Renoform,  Supranephran,  Suprarenaden,  Suprnre- 
nin    (Hocchst),  Supraremn  synthetic,  Tonogen  and  Vasoconstrictin. 

2.  The   generic  term   used  by   the  editor  of  the   "Year  Book  of 
Phnrmacy"  is  "adrenine." 


352 

GENERIC   TERMS   INJURE   NO  ONE 

The  introduction  of  a  generic  term  does  not  prevent  any 
physician  from  using  the  word  "adrenalin,"  or  the  proprietary 
name  of  any  other  product.  If  a  physician  believes  a  certain 
brand  to  be  superior,  or  if  he  wishes  to  contribute  royalty  to 
the  enterprise  of  the  manufacturer,  then  he  is  justified  in  using 
the  proprietary  term. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  word  "adrenalin"  has  come  into  use 
as  a  generic  name  because  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  were  the  first 
manufacturers  to  "push"  this  product.  This  was  done  in 
all  countries.  The  name  this  firm  adopted  was  a  catchy  one, 
and  as  a  result  it  is  a  fact  that  to-day,  not  only  in  this 
country  but  in  Europe,  "adrenalin"  is  regarded  as  a  common 
name  by  a  host  of  physicians,  and  used  as  such.  In  our 
correspondence  regarding  this  matter  this  statement  has  been 
made  repeatedly:  "I  used  the  term  'adrenalin'  because  I 
thought  it  was  the  common  term." 

In  this  connection,  we  desire  to  say  that  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
are  mistaken  in  asserting  that  we  know  that  Dr.  Melland  used 
their  preparation.  On  the  contrary,  study  of  his  article  shows 
that  he  used  the  word  in  a  generic  sense.  Whether  he  used 
the  preparation  made  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  or  some"  other 
preparation  is  not  specified. 

"Do  you  think  it  is  right,"  ask  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  "to 
put  into  his  mouth  a  name  of  which  Dr.  Kreibich  never  heard 
in  his  life?"  We  think  it  right  to  use  the  word  which  will 
convey  the  idea  to  the  reader's  mind  without  chance  of  mis- 
apprehension. We  think  it  wrong  to  use  a  word  which  has  a 
double  sense,  when  that  can  be  avoided.  Unless  an  author's 
words  are  meant  to  apply  solely  to  the  preparation  made  by 
Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  it  is  not  right  that  that  product  should 
derive  benefit  from  them. 

Say  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.:  "You  know  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  on  any  market  as  epinephrin."  This  is  true,  and  for 
the  simple  reason  that  every  manufacturer,  for  purely  com- 
mercial reasons,  without  regard  to  science,  adopts  a  trade 
name  for  his  product  and  pushes  that  product  under  that 
trade  name  for  all  it  is  worth.  But  if  medical  men  will  make 
it  a  point  to  use  the  word  epinephrin  in  their  discussions,  in 
their  writings,  and  in  their  prescriptions,  it  will  not  be  long 
before  there  will  be  plenty  of  epinephrin  on  the  market.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  already  one  firm  (Mulford  &  Co.)  has  used  as 
a  synonym  for  its  preparation,  adrin,  the  term  "epinephrin"  and 
two  other  firms  have  expressed  willingness  to  adopt  epineph- 
rin  as  a  synonym.  We  sincerely  hope  that  in  the  interest  <>t 
science  other  manufacturers  will  do  likewise,  although  it  may 
be  too  much  to  expect  that  all  will  take  this  (Milij-litciii-il 
attitude. 


MISCELLANY  353 

COMMERCIAL  PREPARATIONS  NOT  IDENTICAL 

It  is  understood,  of  course,  that  the  preparations  on  the 
market  are  not  necessarily  identical,  since  the  drug  is  in 
solution,  and  these  solutions  -vary  according  to  the  preserva- 
tive and  the  solvent  used.3  On  this  account  some  physicians 
will  find  it  more  satisfactory  to  use  this  or  that  firm's  product, 
in  which  case  they  would  of  course  indicate  it  either  by 
appending  the  firm's  name  after  the  common  term  "epi- 
nephrin,"  or  by  using  the  firm's  trade  name. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  name  "adrenalin"  has  been 
trademarked  by  the  manufacturers  of  this  particular  product 
and  is,  therefore,  no  longer  the  scientific  name  for  the  supra- 
renal principle,  the  question  of  priority  in  its  discovery  or 
preparation  is  one  of  minor  importance  in  this  connection. 
However,  the  history  of  this  drug  disproves  the  claim  of  the 
manufacturers  of  "adrenalin"  of  exclusive  priority  in  the  dis- 
covery. The  progress  of  scientific  discovery  is  rarely  such  that 
any  firm  or  individual  can  truly  claim  all  the  credit. 

But  before  going  into  the  history  let  us  again  quote  from 
the  Parke-Davis  letter: 

We  spent  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  on  experimental  work 
before  our  chemist,  Dr.  Takamine,  isolated  the  active  principle  of 
the  suprarenal  gland.  We  now  pay  him  a  royalty  on  every  grain  of 
the  drug  and  every  ounce  of  the  solution.  You  know  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  on  any  market  as  epinephrin.  And  yet  you  try  to 
deprive  us  of  the  credit  which  is  fairly  ours.  A  fine  premium  you 
are  putting  on  originality,  enterprise  and  research  work  by  commer 
cial  houses  !  Here  we  have  enriched  the  practice  o'f  medicine  with 
the  most  remarkable  agent  discovered  since  Kohler  noted  the  anes- 
thetic properties  of  cocain  (excepting  always  the  antidiphtheritic 
serum)  ;  yet  when  a  reputable  physician  reports  his  experience  to 
the  medical  press,  THE  JOURNAL  of  the  American.  Medical  Associa- 
tion deliberately  strikes  out  the  name  used  by  the  author  and  sub- 
stitutes one  of  its  own.  Is  this  the  way  to  teach  ethics  to  others? 

How  much  Parke,  Davis  &  Go.  spent  on  the  experimental 
work  that  resulted  in  Takamine  isolating  "adrenalin"  is  a  mat- 
ter best  known  to  that  firm.  The  following  quotation  from 
the  article4  by  Takamine  in  which  he  announced  the  resits  of 
his  work  is  interesting  in  this  connection: 

"Having  been  interested  in  this  subject  for  some  time  I  recently 
commenced  to  make  research  along  that  line.  I  am  now  pleased  to 
announce  that  /  have  succeeded  in  isolating  the  blood-pressure- 
rmsinfi  principle  of  the  gland  in  a  stable  and  pure  crystalline 
form."  [Italics  ours. — ED.] 

If  Takamine  isolated  "adrenalin"  so  soon  after  commencing 
his  research  work,  one  wonders  why  it  was  necessary  for 
Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  to  expend  "tens  of  thousands  of  dollars" 
for  such  a  rapid  piece  of  work.  But  this  point  is  immaterial. 
The  implication  here  is  that  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  deserve  the 

3.  There   is  on   the   market  a  synthetic  product  called  L-supra- 
renin  synthetic  bitartrate.     See  THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Jan.  14, 
1911,  p.   120.     Also  N.   N.  R.,   1911,   p.  82. 

4.  Therap.   Gaz.,  1901,  xxv,   222. 


354  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

sole  credit   for   the   discovery   of   the   active   principle   of   the 
suprarenal  glands.     Now  for  the  facts  regarding  this  matter. 

THE    HIS1OKY    OF    THE    DISCOVERY 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  it  was  discovered  that  the 
suprarenal  glands  contain  substances  which  give  peculiar  color 
reactions.5  These  properties  were  believed  to  be  due  to  the 
presence  of  pyroeatechin  or  to  its  derivatives.  Since  18946 
it  has  been  known  that  extract  of  the  suprarenal  glands 
possessed  remarkable  blood-pressure-raising  and  local  astrin- 
gent properties. 

The  blood-pressure-raising  principle  of  the  suprarenal  gland 
was  first  isolated  by  Abel  and  Crawford7  in  1897  in  the  form 
of  its  benzoyl  compound.  Finding  this  substance  and  its 
derivatives  to  be  physiologically  active,  Abel  believed  that  he 
had  isolated  the  true  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  gland 
in  a  pure  state  and  named  it  "epinephrin,"8  meaning,  of  course, 
that  the  name  should  apply  to  the  true  blood-pressure-raising 
constituent.  The  soluble  salts  of  epinephrin,  as  prepared  by 
Abel  would,  no  doubt,  have  met  all  the  needs  of  practical 
medicine  if  his  methods  of  preparation  had  not  been  too 
expensive.9 

Contemporaneous  with  Abel's  earlier  researches,  v.  Fiirth10 
succeeded  in  isolating  from  the  glands  in  an  impure  state  an 
active  principle  which  he  called  "suprarenin."  In  1901,  four 
years  after  Abel's  first  report,  Takamine,11  separated  an  active 
principle  from  the  glands  which  he  called  "adrenalin."  In  the 
same  year,  Aldrich,1-  a  former  associate  of  Abel,  independently 
produced  an  active  principle,  said  to  be  much  purer  than 
Takamine's,  which  he  also  called  "adrenalin."  That  Aldrich's 
product  was  purer  than  Takamine's  is  shown  by  a  comparison 
of  the  formulas  given  by  the  respective  authors.  Takamine 
originally  stated  that  the  formula  for  his  adrenalin  was 
C10H15O3N,  while  Aldrich  (from  the  analysis  of  his  own  pro- 
duct) assigned  the  formula  C9H13O3N.  Aldrich's  formula  has 
since  been  confirmed  by  many  independent  investigators,  while 

5.  Vulpian  :  Compt.  rend.,  1856,  xliii,  663. 

6.  Oliver  and  Schafer  :  Jour.  Phya.,  Proc.  Phys.  Soc.  p.  i.,  1894, 
xvi;  Proc.  Phys.  Soc.  p.  I.,  1894,  xvii ;  1895,  xviii,  230. 

7.  Abel    and    Crawford:      Johns    Hopkins    Hosp.    Bull.,     1897, 
viii,  151. 

8.  Abel  :  Ztschr.   f.   phys.    Chem.,    1899,   xxviii,    320-1. 

9.  Hunt:  Proc.  Am.   Physiol.   Soc.  in  Am.   Jour.   Physiol.,   1901, 
v,  6. 

10.  v.  Fiirth:     Ztschr.  f.  phys.   Chem.,    1898,   xxiv,   142;   1898-9, 
xxvi,  15. 

11.  Takamine:  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1901,  Ixxiii,  523. 

12.  Aldrich :    Am.    Jour.    Physiol.,    1901,    v,    457.      The    work    of 
Aldrich  was  published  in  the  same  year,  but  after  that  of  Takamine. 
He  used   the   name   adrenalin   also.      The   statement  that   Aldrich's 
product  was  purer  comes  from  Crawford,  now  Professor  of  Pharma- 
cology in  Leland   Stanford   Junior   University,   California,   formerly 
with  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.    This  statement  was  published  by  Crawford 
in    the   Bulletin   of  the   Bureau  of  Plant   Industry,   No.   112,   1907, 
p.  16. 


MISCELLANY  355 

no  one  has  ever  been  able  to  substantiate  the  formula  orig- 
inally claimed  by  Takamine.  This  fact  alone  demonstrates 
that  Takamine  can  have  no  legitimate  claim  to  be  the  first  to 
isolate  the  active  substance  in  a  pure  state. 

It  is  evident  that  all  these  investigators  were  working  with 
the  same  substance,  in  varying  degrees  of  purity.  In  fact, 
with  the  exception  of  mentioning  v.  Fiirth's  name,  this  is  the 
belief  of  Crawford,13  Abel's  early  associate.  This  opinion,  how- 
ever, was  written  by  Crawford,  a  decade  after  his  work  with 
Abel.  Jowett,  in  England,  several  years  earlier  had  come  to 
the  same  conclusion.14  He  says :  "  'Epinephrin,'  'suprarenin'  and 
'adrenalin,  refer  to  the  same  substance."  Concerning  the 
proper  name  for  the  active  substance  of  the  suprarenals,  this 
chemist  says:  "As  this  author  (Abel)  was  the  first  to  isolate 
the  substance,  although  in  an  impure  condition,  it  would  seem 
that  the  name  originally  assigned  by  Abel,  to  the  active  prin- 
.  ciple,  should  be  the  one  adopted." 

A  review  of  the  facts  as  briefly  stated  above  shows  that 
Abel's  reports  as  well  of  those  of  v.  Fiirth  were  published  in 
1897-99,  long  before  Takamine's  announcement  of  the  isola- 
tion of  "adrenalin."  To  Abel,  then,  more  than  to  any  other, 
belongs  the  credit  of  having  paved  the  way  for  the  perfection 
of  epinephrin.  As  we  stated  before,  therefore,  the  name 
which  he  selected  for  the  substance  is  the  scientific  one,  the 
only  proper  one,  if  for  no  other  reason  than  on  account  of  the 
priority  of  his  systematic  researches.  We  contend,  therefore, 
that  "epinephrin"  is  the  most  correct  generic  name  for  the 
suprarenal  principle  and  that  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry  did  well  in  selecting  this  term. 

SOME   OPINIONS 

To  ascertain  whether  authors  in  speaking  of  "adrenalin," 
always  mean  the  Parke-Davis  preparation,  or  whether  they 
generally  intend  a  wide  application,  we  entered  into  corre- 
spondence with  those  who  mentioned  the  word  "adrenalin"  in 
their  articles,  and  we  quote  from  some  of  the  replies  (italics 
ours)  : 

Dr.  Edward  B.  Bigelow,  Worcester,  Mass.,  says: 

Personally,  I  do  not  intend  to  use  trade  names  or  write  prescrip- 
tions for  proprietary  preparations,  although,  occasionally,  I  must 
admit  that  I  do  the  latter.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  through  ignorance, 
I  used  the  word  "adrenalin,"  considering  it  to  be  the  general  term 
for  the  preparation  and  not  knowing,  until  you  called  my  attention 
to  it,  that  epinephrin  is  that  term.  On  looking  the  matter  up,  the 
preparation  really  used  by  me  was  "supracapsulin."  I  shall  he 
pleased  to  substitute  the  word  "epinephrin"  where  I  used  the  word 
"adrenalin." 

Dr.  E.  Fletcher  Ingals,  Chicago,  in  discussing  a  paper  in  the 
Section  on  Laryngology  and  Otology  last  June,  spoke  of  using 
adrenalin.  In  reply  to  our  letter  he  says: 

13.  Crawford  :  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agr.,  Bur.  Plant  Ind.,   Hull.,  1907, 
cxii,   10. 

14.  Jowett :  Jour.  Chem.  Soc.,  1904,  Ixxxv,  192. 


356  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

I  used  the  term  in  a  general  way,  for  I  seldom  use  adrenalin  as 
it  is  too  irritating  in  consequence  of  chloretone,  but  use  supra- 
renalin.  .  .  .  Your  plan  is  absolutely  right  and  I  hope  the  pro- 
fession will  sec  it  in  this  way.  I  shall  probably  continue  to  use 
Armour's  preparation,  suprarenalin,  as  I  like  it  best,  but  we  will 
call  it  epinephrin. 

Dr.  Rudolph  JVIatas,  New  Orleans,  says : 

In  using  the  term  "adrenalin"  I  was  familiar  with  the  fact  that 
there  are  several  preparations  of  the  same  kind  under  different  pro- 
prietary names  ;  but,  remembering  the  early  work  of  P.  D.  &  Co.  in 
developing  adrenalin  among  other  cruder  products  of  the  suprarenal 
gland.  I  have  clung  to  them  faithfully  up  to  the  present  time. 
However,  in  applying  the  term  "adrenalin,"  as  I  have  done,  espe- 
cially in  our  work  on  local  anesthesia,  it  was  not  my  intention  to 
specify  any  particular  "makes"  of  suprarenal  product  in  preference 
to  any  other,  but  /  meant  to  use  it  in  a  generic  sense  without  mean- 
ing particularly  P.  EF.  &  Co.  in  preference  to  Mulford,  Armour  & 
Co.,  Stearns,  etc.  I  did  not  have  in  mind  the  trade  name,  but  a 
generic  name  that  applied  to  the  product  of  the  adrenal,  which  we 
all  recognize  as  the  same  thing  under  various  trade  names.  I  soe 
clearly  the  point  you  make  and  believe  it  is  well  taken.  I  am  fully 
in  accord  with  the  purpose  and  the  priniciple  upheld  by  the  Council 
on  Pharmacy  in  doing  away  with  trade  names,  if  possible,  but  those 
of  us  who  have  been  in  the  habit  for  years  of  designating  certain 
things  by  certain  names  which  are  familiar  to  us  find  it  difficult  to 
break  into  a  new  practice. 

Dr.  John  O.  Roe,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  replied: 

As  stated  in  my  article,  it  icas  adrenalin  I  used  in  the  cases  I 
reported.  I  have  no  objection  to  the  use  of  the  general  or  generic 
term  covering  all  the  different  preparations  of  this  agent,  although 
I  stated  that  I  used  adrenalin  for  the  reason  that  I  have  found  it 
the  most  active  and  the  most  reliable  of  all  these  preparations. 

Dr.  Leo  Loeb,  St.  Louis,  says: 

I  have  no  objection  to  the  change  you  propose  in  my  paper,  /  aw 
glad  to  use  the  term  "epinephrin"  instead  of  "adrenalin."  I  am  in 
hearty  sympathy  with  the  work  done  by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry. 

Dr.  A.  L.  Scharber,  Nashville,  Tenn,  says: 

I  did  not  intend  to  use  any  trade  name  ;  I  only  used  it  in  a  gen- 
eral way.  I  thought  at  the  time  that  I  had  applied  the  name  as  it 
should  be.  Now,  if  I  had  known  in  time,  I  should  have  substituted 
the  word  "epinephrin"  for  "adrenalin." 

Dr.  Theodore  C.  Janeway,  New  York,  writes: 

I  am  heartily  in  sympathy  with  your  desire  to  eliminate  trade 
names.  In  this  case  it  icas  P.  D.  &  Co.'s  preparation.  ...  It 
seems  to  me  unfortunate  that  adrenalin,  which  is  used  fairly  gener- 
ally in  the  German  literature,  should  not  have  the  same  non-specific 
signification  here,  but  suppose  we  cannot  help  that.  Epinephrin 
always  seemed  to  me  a  much  clumsier  name  than  adrenalin.  How- 
ever, I  suppose  P.  D.  &  Co.  have  made  it  impossible  to  use  the  latter. 

As  stated  by  Dr.  Janeway,  "adrenalin"  is  used  as  a  gen- 
eral term  in  a  general  sense  in  Germany,  and  in  fact  all  over 
Europe,  as  it  is  in  this  country,  and  for  the  same  reason. 
Thus,  to  quote  only  recent  literature,  Ascher  and  Flack 
(Ztschr.  f.  Biol.,  1910,  Vol.  55)  use  the  word  "adrenalin" 
throughout  their  article,  in  the  protocols  and  conclusions; 
but  on  page  115  they  state  that  they  actually  employed  the 
preparation  "haemostasin."  Hirayama  (Ztschr.  f.  expcr.  Path. 
u.  Ther.,  1911,  Vol.  8,  pi  651)  speaks  of  "adrenalin  experi- 


MISCELLANY  357 

ments,"  but  actually  used  "suprarenin  Hoechst"  in  all  cases. 
This  illustrates  the  generic  use  of  the  term.  But  while  the  sub- 
stance is  on  the  market  in  Europe  under  a  greater 
variety  of  names  than  it  is  in  this  country,  adrenalin 
has  the  same  narrow,  limited  meaning  as  it  does  here.  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.  emphasize  this  even  in  their  advertisements.  In 
a  full  page  advertisement  in  the  London  Lancet  recently  the 
British  profession  is  advised  that  "there  is  only  one  adrenalin. 
.  .  .  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  introduced  adrenalin  into  medicine. 
This  principle  was  isolated  in  1900  by  Dr.  Takamine,  a  member 
of  their  scientific  staff,  and  the  sole  right  of  manufacture  by 
his  process  is  vested  in  them."  German  physicians  are  labor- 
ing under  the  same  difficulty  as  physicians  in  this  country 
would  be  laboring  under  were  it  not  for  the  Council  on  Phar- 
macy and  Chemistry. 

We  believe  that  the  patent  on  adrenalin  will  expire  in  five 
or  six  years.  Then  not  only  the  method  of  manufacturing  it 
but  the  product  itself  will  be  free.  But  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
will  still  control  the  name  "adrenalin,"  and  every  time  the 
physician  prescribes  under  this  term  the  druggist  must  use 
Parke,  Davis  &  Company's  preparation. 

In  scientific  literature,  however,  or  whenever  the  observa- 
tions or  conclusions  are  not  restricted  to  the  Parke,  Davis  & 
Co.  product,  the  name  "epinephrin"  is  not  only  justified,  but 
commendable.  The  very  condition  of  scientific  progress  is  free- 
dom. The  interest  of  the  public  and  of  science  demands  that 
this  freedom  should  be  maintained.  We  doubt  greatly  whether 
many  scientists  of  established  reputation  will  subscribe  to  the 
insinuation  in  the  protest  quoted  above,  that  the  cause  of 
science  is  best  advanced  by  restricting  its  liberty,  in  order 
to  put  a  premium  on  the  "originality,  enterprise  and  research 
work  of  commercial  bourses." 

Such  an  attitude  would  certainly  be  contrary  to  the  best 
traditions  of  medical  science.  Modern  conditions  may  have 
necessitated  some  changes  in  the  traditional  practice- — but  not 
to  the  extent  that  thinking  men  will  agree  with  the  accusation 
that  those  who  prefer  a  free  name  to  a  "protected"  name,  are 
guilty  of  sophistication  and  of  debauching  the  ethics  of  the 
profession. 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.'s  "Reply"  to  the  Above,  with  Our  Comments 
With  a  desire  to  be  absolutely  fair  and  to  avoid  any  pos- 
sible misstatement  of  facts,  a  proof  of  the  above  was  sub- 
mitted to  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  This  firm  has  made  a  rather 
lengthy  "reply,"  which  ignores  the  main  point — the  absolute 
necessity,  in  the  interest  of  science,  of  a  practical,  generic 
name — but  deals  expansively  with  side  issues,  especially  in 
extolling  their  own  product.  The  reply  absolutely  ignores  the 
point  at  issue.  As  will  be  noticed  by  those  who  read  the 
"reply"  through  consecutively,  it  contains  many  reiterations. 
A  slight  rearrangement  of  the  paragraphs  has  been  made, 


358  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

therefore,  in  order  that  we  may  comment  in  one  place  on 
related  matters.  As  the  paragraphs  are  numbered,  it  will  be 
easy  for  those  who  desire  to  do  so  to  read  Parke,  Davis  &  Go's 
"reply"  in  the  order  in  which  it  was  sent  in  by  them.  Omitting 
the  first  paragraph,  we  have  arranged  the  text  of  the  reply 
under  four  heads.  Their  "reply"  begins  as  follows : 

To  the  Editor: — On  the  following  points  in  the  article  which  you 
send  us.  "Proprietary  versus  Unprotected  Names,"  you  take  a  posi- 
tion which  is  utterly  untenable  : 

1.  Not  a   single  grain   of  the  active   principle  of   the  suprarenal 
gland  was  on  the  market,  in  pure  state  or  in  solution,  until  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.  first  offered  the  pure  adrenalin  and  the  solution  adre- 
nalin chlorid  to  the  medical  profession  and  the  drug  trade.    That  we 
were  the  first  to  offer  these  products  for  sale  has  never  been  dis- 
puted. 

Comment: — Technically  this  is  true.  Nevertheless,  under  the 
name  "epinephrin,"  an  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  gland, 
as  prepared  by  Abel,  was  in  the  hands  of  clinicians,  in  the 
form  of  a  salt  and  in  solution,  and  was  being  made  the  sub- 
ject of  experiment  and  report  to  medical  societies  nearly  two 
years  before  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  offered  it  for  sale. 

I.   VARIATIONS  IN  COMMERCIAL  BRAND 

2.  If  you  will  turn  to  Bulletin  61  of  the  Bureau  of  Public  Health 
and  Marine-Hospital   Service  at  Washington,  you  will  find  on  page 
25  a  summary  of  an  investigation  of  six  preparations  on  the  market 
purporting  to  contain  the  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  gland. 
In  point  of  activity  four  of  them  range  from  3.7  to  66.6  per  cent, 
of  the  normal  standard.     Only  two  are  pronounced  satisfactory  (100 
per   cent.).      If  you    purpose    to   encourage    the   use   of   the   generic 
name   for   the   six   preparations,    and   if   a    physician   prescribe   epi- 
nephrin, which  of  the  six  products  would  you  have  dispensed  on  his 
prescription — the   active,   the   standardized   or   the   virtually   inert? 
Would  you  leave  the  decision  wholly  to  the  dispenser?     Would  you 
give  the  physician  any  voice  in  the  selection  of  the  product  that  he 
can  trust?     And  if  in  your  dislike  of  "trade  names"  you  persist  in 
closing  your  columns  to  them  and  in  substituting  epinephrin  there- 
for, will  you,  in  justice  to  the  physician  and  in  justice  to  the  par- 
ticular   product    which    may    have   been    used    by   your   contributor, 
take    the    trouble    to    insert    "epinephrin    (Jones),"    or    "epinephrin 
(Smith),"  or  "epinephrin   (Parke,  Davis  &  Co.?" 

Comment: — This  matter  has  been  dealt  with  (page  911,  col. 
1,  par.  5),  in  part,  as  follows:  "It  is  understood,  of  course, 
that  the  preparations  on  the  market  are  not  necessarily  iden- 
tical, since  the  drug  is  in  solution,  and  these  solutions  vary 
according  to  the  preservative  and  the  solvent  used.  On  this 
account  some  physicians  will  find  it  more  satisfactory  to  use 
this  or  that  firm's  product,  in  which  case  they  would,  of  course, 
indicate  it  either  by  appending  the  firm's  name  after  the  com- 
mon term  'epinephrin'  or  by  using  the  firm's  name." 

The  introduction  of  a  generic  term  does  not  prevent  any 
physician  from  using  the  word  'adrenalin'  or  the  proprietary 
name  of  any  other  product.  If  a  physician  believes  a  certain 
brand  to  be  superior,  or  if  lie  wishes  to  contribute  royalty  to 
the  enterprise  of  the  manufacturer,  then  he  is  justified  in  using 
the  proprietary  term. 


MISCELLANY  359 

We  have  no  complaint  against  the  use  of  a  trade  name  when 
the  prescribe!-,  author  or  abstracter  intentionally  restricts  his 
remarks  to  that  one  particular  preparation,  as  in  the  compara- 
tive investigations  quoted  in  the  reply.  But  as  we  have 
pointed  out,  practically  all  authors  intend  to  use  a  generic 
name,  and  think  that  they  are  doing  this. 

3.  Allow  us  to  remind  you  of  your  own  words  In  THE  JOURNAL 
of  the  American  Medical  Association,  Feb.  26,  1910,  page  710  : 

"Scnultz  has  just  published  the  results  of  a  careful  examination 
of  samples  of  the  suprarenal  preparations  on  the  American  market, 
which  illustrated  once  more  the  need  of  more  care  in  the  methods 
of  preparing  and  keeping  this  important  drug.  Of  the  six  different 
products-  only  two  were  of  the  strength  claimed  ;  the  others  vary 
from  3.7  to  66.6  per  cent,  of  this  strength.  .  .  .  Hunt  in  1906 
showed  that  some  of  the  preparations  labeled  1  :1,000  had  only  one- 
fifth  of  the  activity  of  others  bearing  the  same  label.  Sollman  and 
Brown  of  Cleveland.  Ohio,  showed  the  activity  of  eight  commercial 
preparations  to  differ  greatly.  .  .  .  The  fact  remains,  however, 
that  inferior  preparations  are  on  the  market  and  are  probably  pass- 
ing into  the  hands  of  physicians  daily.  .  .  There  are  reas 


for  believing,  however,  that  some  of  the  firms  preparing  this  and 
some  other  drugs  requiring1  physiologic  standardization  are  not  prop- 
erly equipped  for  the  work." 

If,  now,  the  physician  prescribes  simply  "epinephrin,"  what 
ground  has  he  for  complaint  if  a  solution  containing  3.7  per  cent. 
of  proper  normal  potency  is  dispensed? 

5.  Those  manufacturers  who  are  making  substitutes  for  adrenalin 
will  rejoice  to  know  that  an  influential  medical  journal  is  support- 
ing their  attempts  to  destroy  in  the  minds  of  physicians  the  dis- 
tinction between  their  products  and  the  original.  No  wonder  that 
one  or  more  of  them  have  been  willing  to  accept  your  suggestion 
and  attach  the  word  "epinephrin"  to  their  labelsii  Why  should 
they  forego  your  help  in  rectifying  their  past  failures  to  give  stand- 
ing to  their  imitations  and  substitutes? 

Comment:  —  We  are  not  aware  that  there  is  any  "distinc- 
tion," other  than  the  variability  which  may  exist  between  any 
two  commercial  brands  of  the  same  substance.  The  variation 
is  unfortunate,  and  should  be  speedily  abolished  by  the 
standardization  of  all  the  brands  —  a  work  which  the  Council 
on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  is  trying  to  accomplish.  Instead 
of  this,  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  propose  to  meet  the  conditions  by 
creating  and  perpetuating  a  monopoly. 

To  realize  the  absurdity  of  this,  we  need  only  consider  a  few 
analogous  examples:  Common  table  salt  is  not  absolutely 
pure.  Let  us  suppose  that  a  commercial  firm  markets  a  pure 
sodium  chlorid  under  a  protected  trade  name.  Must  scientists 
henceforth  drop  the  scientific  name  of  "sodium  chlorid"  or  the 
public  the  common  name  "salt,"  because  uniformity  would  be 
promoted  thereby?  Again:  Digitalis  preparations  vary  notori- 
ously. Let  us  suppose  that  Smith,  Jones  &  Co.  invent  a  more 
uniform  preparation  and  incidentally  also  invent  a  new  name. 
Should  the  name  "digitalis"  now  be  dropped  from  the  litera- 
ture, because  it  refers  to  variable  products  Or  again,  let  us 
now  suppose  that  we  now  accomplish  the  impossible  and  accept 
"adrenalin"  as  the  generic  name;  must  we  change  this  every 
time  that  some  one  finds  a  better  way  of  making  a  somewhat 
purer  product,  or  a  more  stable  solution?  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
bring  another  argument  along  the  same  line: 


360  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

1.  Your  own  laboratory  (THE  JOURNAL  A.  M.  A.,  Oct.  31,  1908, 
pp.  1524-25),  has  borne  witness  that  of  four  samples  (of  prep- 
arations purporting  to  be  solutions  of  the  active  principle  of 
the  suprarenal  gland)  only  one  did  not  contain  sodium  sulphite 
or  a  similar  bleaching  agent — an  agent  which  is  generally  conceded 
to  have  no  real  preservative  effect,  and  only  serves  to  deceive  the 
physician  by  masking  the  tell-tale  evidence  of  decomposition.  We 
do  not  ask  you  to  publish  the  name  of  the  manufacturer  of  the 
lone  sample :  we  can  g-uess  for  ourselves. 

Comment: — We  do  not  know  at  all  that  "it  is  generally  con- 
ceded" that  the  sulphite  has  no  real  preservative  action  and  is 
therefore  a  fraud;  or  that  the  infinitesimal  dose  used  is  at  all 
harmful;  or  that  it  is  in  any  way  inferior  to  the  preservative 
used  in  "adrenalin  solution."  In  the  absence  of  any  evidence 
in  this  direction,  the  Council  had  to  be  content  with  a  state- 
ment of  the  nature  of  the  preservative;  but  if  good  evidence  is 
adduced,  the  Council  will  doubtlessly  apply  it. 

II.    EXPENSE     OF     DISCOVERY 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  lay  great  stress  on  the  matter  of  the 
expense  of  discovery  in  the  following  paragraphs: 

4.  The  relative  merits  of  Takamine  and  Aldrich,  on  which  you 
dwell,  have  no  bearing  on  the  case.  Both  were  in  our  employ  dur- 
ing and  before  their  work  on  the  suprarenal  gland.  Aldrich  entered 
our  service  July  10,  1898,  and  devoted  more  than  two  years  to  this 
work.  Takamine  had  the  good  fortune  to  reach  the  covered  goal 
first.  With  either  or  both,  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  share  the  credit, 
for  obvious  reasons. 

6.  Much  is  said  of  the  selfish  motives  and  the  pecuniary  rewards 
of  the  manufacturer,  little  or  nothing  about  his  outlay,  his  financial 
hazard,  his  losses.  Few  remedies  of  real  value  are  brought  forth 
in  this  era  save  by  highly  trained  and  well-paid  men  working  in 
costly  laboratories.  The  world  hears  of  the  success,  applauds  the 
discoverer  (perhaps),  and  utilizes  the  remedy.  No  one  thinks  it 
worth  while  to  ascertain  the  costly  failures,  for  the  failures  cost  as 
much  as  the  successes,  and  the  returns  from  one  success  must  neces- 
sarily offset  the  losses  of  a  half  dozen  failures. 

Comment: — Just  when,  where  and  how  long  Dr.  Takamine 
and  Aldrich  were  in  the  employ  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.;  what 
were  their  salaries  and  other  conditions  of  their  employment; 
what  proportion  of  their  time  was  devoted  to  investigations  of 
the  suprarenal  problem;  what  other  use  may  have  been  made 
of  them — or  in  fact,  what  were  the  expenses  of  Parke,  Davis 
&  Co.  in  discovering  adrenalin,  and  the  probably  vastly  larger 
expenses  of  advertising  it,  what  is  the  present  rate  of  profit, 
etc. — all  these  are  questions  which  may  have  an  interest  of 
their  own ;  but  we  fail  to  see  what  practical  bearing  they  have 
on  the  question  whether  we  ne.ed  a  generic  name  for  the  numer- 
ous commercial  brands  of  an  identical  substance;  or  even  on 
the  choice  of  name,  since  the  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  name  Is  pro- 
tected, and  therefore  not  available  as  a  generic  name. 

In  passing,  however,  it  may  be  remarked  that  so  far  as  the 
mere  question  of  expense  is  concerned,  Takamine  and  Aldrich, 
and  through  them  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  certainly  profited  some- 
what by  the  work  of  the  preceding  and  contemporaneous  work- 
ers in  the  same  field ;  but  we  have  still  to  learn  that  they  have 
made  any  effort  to  reimburse  these  "outsiders"  for  their  share 


MISCELLANY  361 

of  the  expense.  In  the  aggregate,  this  was  doubtless  much 
greater  than  that  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  The  independent 
workers  were  not  looking  to  financial  encouragement ;  they  were 
looking  to  the  benefit  of  mankind;  they  are  entitled  to  that 
benefit,  and  presumably  would  not  accept  any  other.  Parke. 
Davis  &  Co.,  however,  would  take  this  benefit  from  them, 
capitalize  it,  and  convert  it  into  dividends.  These  independent 
investigators  doubtless  believed,  as  we  have  said,  that  they 
were  working  for  the  benefit  of  humanity;  it  appears,  however, 
that  they  were,  in  fact,  working  for  the  exclusive  benefit  of 
Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  This  is  one  of  the  unfair  phases  of  com- 
mercialized research. 

III.    PRIORITY    OF    DISCOVERY 

As  we  have  repeatedly  pointed  out,  the  "priority  of  discov- 
ery" has  no  practical  bearing  on  the  need,  or  in  this  case  even 
on  the  choice,  of  a  generic  name;  for  a  generic  name,  by  its 
very  definition,  cannot  be  monopolized,  and  "epinephrin"  is  the 
only  current  name  for  the  substance  which  has  not  been 
monopolized.  It  was  not  even  proposed  for  any  specific  product, 
for  Abel  said:  "I  therefore  name  the  blood -pressure-raising 
substance  (of  the  suprarenal  gland)  'epinephrin,'  in  accordance 
with  Hyrtl's  nomenclature"  (Hoppe-Seyler's  Ztschr.,  1899, 
xxviii,  p.  321). 

However,  since  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  in  their  first  letter, 
claimed  to  have  "enriched  the  practice  of  medicine  with  the 
most  remarkable  agent,"  etc.,  we  felt  it  our  duty  to  point  out 
that  such  a  claim  deprives  Dr.  Takamine's  predecessors  of  the 
large  part  of  the  credit  which  is  fairly  theirs.  The  "enrich- 
ment" really  dates  from  the  discovery,  by  Oliver  and  Shafer, 
of  the  vasoconstrictor  action  of  the  gland,  which  led  to  its 
therapeutic  use.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  demonstration  of 
the  therapeutic  potentialities  of  the  gland,  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
would  probably  not  have  dreamed  of  financing  its  investigation. 
For  this  then  they  deserve  no  credit.  The  next  step  was  the 
demonstration  that  this  action  resides  in  a  definite  chemical 
substance;  and  this  substance,  in  the  form  of  a  benzoyl  deriva- 
tive, was  first  isolated  by  Abel — also  without  the  aid  of  Parke, 
Davis  &  Co.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  demonstration  of  the 
basic  character  of  this  substance,  Dr.  Takamine  might  still  be 
floundering  in  the  dark  for  a  process  of  isolation. 

The  next  step  was  the  isolation  of  the  natural  base,  and  the 
credit  for  this,  we  say  without  hesitation,  belongs  to  Takamine, 
Aldrich  and  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  This  was  followed  by  the 
determination  of  the  structural  formula;  and  finally  by  the 
synthesis  of  the  substance.  In  the  last,  Parke,  Davis  &  Co. 
again  had  no  share.  In  such  a  chain  of  discoveries,  is  it  right 
for  anyone  to  claim  exclusive  credit;  to  imply  that  he  alone  has 
enriched  the  profession?  Is  it  possible  even  to  say  who  should- 
have  the  major  share?  We  do  not  believe  so,  and  we  shall  not 
attempt  it.  We  concede  a  fair  share  to  Parke,  Davis  &  Co., 
namely,  the  final  isolation  of  the  natural  base.  We  do  not 


362  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

blame  them  for  speaking  warmly  on  this  point,  nor  even  for 
some  partiality  to  their  own  merits;  and  therefore  we  shall 
comment  only  on  such  of  their  statements  as  are  distinctly 
unfair  to  other  investigators,  hence,  subdivisions  as  to  f  inclu- 
sive, of  paragraph  8  are  not  commented  on,  while  subdivision 
i,  j  and  k  are  discussed  separately. 

8.  (a)  You  do  us  and  our  employees  an  injustice  in  the  language 
which  implies  that  Professor  Abel  was  mainly  responsible  for  the 
discovery  and  preparation  of  the  pure,  active  principle  of  the  supra- 
renal gland.  Abel  was  not  the  first  to  learn  that  this  gland  con- 
tained some  substance  giving  a  peculiar  chemical  (color)  reaction. 
This  was  demonstrated  by  Vulpian  (Compt.  rend.  Acad.  d.  Sc.,  Paris, 
1856,  xliii,  GG3-GG5)  in  1856  and  confirmed  by  Virchow  (Virchow's 
Arch.  f.  path.  Anat.,  1857,  xii,  481)  in  1857.  He  was  not  the  first 
to  believe  that  these  glands  contained  some  active  principle,  because 
Vulpian  and  Cloez  (Compt.  rend.  Acad.  d.  8c.,  Paris,  1857.  xlv,  340) 
in  1857,  and  Arnold  (Virchmtfs  Arch  f.  path.  Anat.,  1866,  xxxv, 
t>4)  in  1866,  and  Holm  (Jour.  Pract.  Chem.,  1867,  c,  150)  in  1867, 
had  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion,  as  is  shown  by  their  attempts 
to  isolate  such  an  active  principle. 

(b)  He  was  not  the  first  to  demonstrate  that  these  glands  con- 
tained   a    substance    of    undoubted    chemical    similarity    to    another 
well-known    substance,    for    Krukenberg    (Virchoic's   Arch.    f.    path. 
Anat.,   1885,    ci,    542)    in    1885    called    attention    to   the    similarity 
between  the  color  reactions  of  the  extract  of  this  gland  and  those 
of  pyrocatechol.     Also,  Biunner  (Schweiz.  Wchnsctir.  f.  Pharmakol, 
1892,  xxx,  121)   in  1892  confirmed  Krukenborg's  conclusions  in  ref- 
erence  to   the   similarity   between   the   color   reaction  of   some   sub- 
stances in  the  glands  and  those  of  pyrocatechol. 

(c)  Abel  did  not  first  demonstrate  that  these  glands  contained  a 
substance    of  marked   physiologic   activity,    for   Oliver   and   Schiifer 
(Jour.  Physiol.,  1894,  xvi,   1 ;   1895,  xvii'i,   230)    in   1894  made   the 
important   discovery   that  the   extract   from   the   suprarenal   glands 
produced  a  rising  blood-pressure  when  injected  intravenously.     More- 
over, Moore   (Proc.  Physiol.  Soc.,  London,  xiv  ;  Jour.  Physiol.,  1895, 
xvii)    in    1895   discovered    that    the   reducing   property    in    such    an 
extract  went  hand  in  hand  with  the  ability  to  increase  the  blood- 
pressure,  and  he  also  concluded  that  the  physiologically  active  body 
must  be  identical  with  the  reducing  body  which  gives  a  green  color 
reaction  with  the  iron  salts. 

(d)  In  1896  Frankel   (Wien.  med.  Bl.,  1896,  xix,  207,  228.  246) 
purified  the  extract  of  the  glands  until  he  had  obtained  a  syrup-like 
body,  and  he,  like  Abel,  with  equal  reason,  considered  this  to  be  a 
pure  substance.     He  called  it  "sphygmog-enin,"  but  no  evidence  was 
offered  to  demonstrate  its  purity  or  identity.     In  the  light  of  our 
present  knowledge  we,  of  course,  know  that  it  was  not  the  active 
substance,  though  it  undoubtedly  contained  some  of  the  active  sub- 
stances. 

(e)  Miihlmann    (Deutsch.    med.    Wchnschr.,    1896,    xxii,    409)    in 
1896  made  a  chemical  investigation  and  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  the  active  principle  was  pyrocatechol.    This,  of  course,  we  now 
know  to  be  untrue  also. 

(f)  Moore   (Jour.  Physiol.,  1897,  xxi,  383)    in   1897  argued  that 
Frankel  was  wrong  in  assuming  the  active  principle  to  be  a  deriv- 
ative   of   pyrocatechol,    and    argued    that   it    was   a    derivative    of 
pyridine.     The  error  of  this  conclusion  has  also  been  demonstrated  ; 
nevertheless,    Moore's    work    was    important,    very    interesting    and 
creditable. 

(g)  Abel  and   Crawford    (Bull.  Johns  Hopkins  Hosp..  1897,  viii, 
151)     in    1897    published    results    which    showed    that    they    had 
been   carrying  on   a  very  interesting  series  of  chemical   researches 
on    the    active    principle,    but    a    careful    perusal    of    the    papers 
published    at    this    time,    and    also    in    1898    and    1899,    and,    in 
fact,  a  perusal  of  all  the  papers  which  have  emanated  from  Profes- 
sor Abel,  has  demonstrated   that  he  never  did  succeed  in  isolating 

•  the  active  substance  in  pure  form,  but  that  what  he  did  obtain  and 
what  he  did  regard  as  the  active  principle  and  the  substance  to 
which  he  has  given  the  name  of  epinephrin,  was  really  a  con- 
pound,  which  was  not  the  active  principle  itself,  but  which  con- 
tained more  or  less  of  the  active  principle  and  which  consequently 


MISCELLANY  303 

displayed  some  of  the  peculiar  physiologic  activity  of  this  sub- 
stance. Aside  from  the  greater  complication  of  the  work,  and  per- 
haps the  more  highly  scientific  methods  used,  he  really  accom- 
plished little  more  than  did  Friinkel  in  1896,  or  perhaps  Oliver. 
Schafer  and  Moore,  who  made  an  extract  from  the  glands  and 
proved  it  was  possessed  of  peculiar  chemical  and  physiologic  activ- 
ity. More  than  this,  the  work  which  he  did  and  the  results  which 
he  published  were  not  finally  used  by  Drs.  Takamine,  Aldrich,  von 
Fur/th  or  Pauly  as  the  basis  of  a  method  for  the  extraction  and 
purification  of  the  active  principle.  Without  the  independent  labors 
and  discoveries  of  these  other  men  or  others  equally  as  able  and 
fortunate,  it  is  quite  possible  that  the  active  principle  of  the  supra- 
renal glands  in  a  pure  and  concentrated  condition  would  not  be 
available  to  the  medical  profession  to-day. 

(h)  If  Abel  has  ever  succeeded  in  extracting  the  pure  active  prin- 
ciple, even  up  to  the  present  day,  without  taking  advantage  of  the 
information  developed  by  Takamine  and  others,  we  have  seen  no 
evidence  of  it  in  the  scientific  journals.  There  is  no  doubt  that 
Abel  was  convinced  that  these  glands  contained  some  substance 
possessing  high  physiologic  potency ;  in  fact,  he  could  not  have 
avoided  such  a  conclusion  from  the  information  furnished  by  others, 
and  one  might  perhaps  say  with  all  justice  that  he  assigned  the 
name  epinephrin  to  the  substance  which  he  imagined  was  present 
in  the  glands,  but  his  conclusions  as  to  the  constitution  of  this  sub- 
stame,  and  the  methods  which  he  developed  for  its  extraction  and 
purification,  have  been  overthrown  by  others  and  are  not  accepted 
to-day  by  his  scientific  colleagues. 

Subdivisions  i,  j  and  k  are  commented  on  below. 

(1)  No  less  than  four  formulas  for  the  active  principle  of  the 
suprarenal  glands  have  been  proposed  by  Abel  from  time  to  time. 
Even  if  we  agree  to  adopt  the  last  of  these,  one  cannot  avoid  the 
fact  that  this  has  been  proved  beyond  any  doubt  to  be  an  incor- 
rect formula  for  the  active  principle.  It  would  certainly  do  violence 
to  scientific  usage,  and  be  a  distortion  of  the  truth,  therefore,  to 
apply  this  name  "epinephriu"  to  a  substance  now  known  as  "adrp- 
nalin,"  which  has  a  different  chemical  constitution. 

Comment: — In  justice  to  Abel,  it  should  be  said  that  K, 
conceded  that  he  had  not  isolated  the  natural  base,  but  its 
benzoyl  salts.  These,  however,  he  evidently  had  in  a  practically 
pure  form — as  pure  as  Takamine's  original  products.  In  evi- 
dence, we  need  only  quote  Aldrich,  and  therefore  Parke,  Davia 
&  Co.  themselves:  "It  is  interesting  to  note  in  this  connection 
that  if  we  subtract  a  benzoyl  residue  from  Abel's  formula  for 
epinephrin — C17H15N04 — we  obtain  a  formula — C10H10NO3— 
which  is  not  very  far  removed  from  that  of  adrenalin— 
C0H13N03 — a  difference  that  can  be  readily  explained  if  we 
suppose  either  of  these  bodies  to  be  contaminated  with  othei 
bodies."  (Am.  Jour.  Physiol.,  v,.  p.  461).  As  to  the  matter 
of  formulas,  it  must  be  remebered  that  the  time  when  Abel 
worked  on  the  problem,  the  subject  was  scarcely  ripe  for  final 
judgment.  Every  chemist  understands  that  the  earlier  for 
mulas  are  more  or  less  provisional.  A  criticism  on  this  score 
is  scarcely  fair,  least  so  from  the  champions  of  Dr.  Takamine; 
for  the  formula  of  Takamine  has  shared  the  same  fate  as 
Abel's.  In  fairness,  it  should  also  be  stated  that  the  four  for 
mulas  which  excite  the  derision  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  were 
not  all  for  one  and  the  same  thing. 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  then  quote  the  opinions  of  several  investi 
gators: 


364  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

(i)  Professor  Pauly  (Ber.  d.  deutsch.  chem.  Gesellsch.,  1903, 
xxxvi,  2944),  a  man  of  world-wide  reputation  writing  from  the 
laboratory  of  the  University  of  Bonn,  says  : 

"The  credit  of  first  precipitating  and  isolating  from  the  supra- 
renal gland  of  the  therein  contained  blood-pressure-raising 


as  a  chemical  individual  belongs  to  Takamine.  It  has  the  name 
'adrenalin,'  given  to  it  by  its  discoverer,  which  name,  among  the 
many  trivial  names  given  to  it,  possesses  the  best  scientific  claim." 

(j)  Professor  von  Fiirth  (A.  d.  Sitzungsb.  d.  k.  Akad.  d. 
\Vissens(h.  in  Wien.  Mathem-Naturw.  Klasse,  1903,  cxii,  3)  says  in 
this  connection  : 

"Abel  and  his  pupils  employ  the  name  of  epinephrin  to  designate 
the  active  principle  as  contained  originally  in  the  gland,  instead 
of  adrenalin  or  suprarenin.  As  the  substance  described  and  ana- 
lyzed by  Abel  under  the  name  epinephrin  is  certainly  different  from 
the  original  body  in  the  adrenal  glands,  I  shall  avoid  using  the 
same,  since  it  necessarily  leads  to  a  misunderstanding." 

(k)  In  a  second  paper  Pauly  (Ber.  d.  deutsch.  chem.  GcsfUx<-li.. 
1904,  xxxvii,  1388)  emphatically  rejects  Abel's  empirical  formula, 
CioHuNO*%Ii2O,  and  remarks: 

"This  formula,  together  with  the  name  'epinephrin  hydrate,' 
which  designates  the  same,  should  be  blotted  out  of  the  literature. 
The  name  'epinephrin,'  however,  should  remain  now  as  before  for 
the  basic  substance  obtained  by  treating  adrenalin  with  concen- 
trated HoSO4,  or  with  dilute  acids  under  pressure,  and  to  this  the 
formula  Ci0Hi3NO3  should  be  given.  This  body,  whose,  chemical 
composition  is  different  from  adrenalin,  and  whose  physical,  chem- 
ical and  pharmacologic  properties  are  different  from  the  real  blood- 
pressure-raising  substance,  should  be  considered  a  transformation 
product  of  the  active  principle." 

Pauly  adds  that  Jo-.vett  is  mistaken  in  giving  Abel  and  Crawford 
credit  for  the  priority  in  first  isolating  the  active  principle  : 

"Thus  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  not  Abel  and  Crawford,  but 
Takamine  first  obtained  the  active  substance.  If  Abel  adheres  to 
the  statement  referred  to  in  the  beginning,  that  his  formula 
CioHjjNOs M>  H»O  finds  confirmation  in  the  analyses  of  salts  and 
derivatives,  it  must  be  answered  that  this  is  not  the  case  ;  that  he, 
outside  of  one  impure  benzoyl  product,  has  not  prepared,  not  to 
say  analyzed,  up  to  the  present  time,  either  a  salt  or  derivative  of 
adrenalin,  in  which  the  nucleus  of  the  last  is  still  intact." 

Comment: — These  are  altogether  matters  of  opinion  or  point 
of  view,  and  to  appraise  them,  it  should  be  understood  that 
Pauly,  at  the  time  when  he  wrote  them,  was  engaged  in  a 
somewhat  sharp  controversy  with  Abel,  as  might  be  gathered 
from  the  expressions  quoted.  His  views,  therefore,  would  be 
apt  to  lack  perspective,  in  fact,  they  would  tend  to  be  some- 
what biased.  Incidentally,  Pauly  is  not  a  professor  but  a 
privat  decent  at  the  University  of  Wtirzburg  and  can  hardly 
be  said  to  be  a  "man  of  world-wide  reputation  as  a  chemist." 
As  to  von  Fiirth's  statement,  there  can  no  longer  be  any  fear 
of  a  "misunderstanding." 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  proceed: 

(m)  Abel's  epinrphrin  possessed  little  if  any  blood-pressure-rais- 
ing action  (von  Fiirth :  Ztschr.  f.  physiol. 


122).  Abel  never  succeeded  in  producing  the  crystallized  base 
until  he  learned  how  from  Takamine.  The  one  point  on  which 
Abel  (Bull.  Johns  Hopkins  Hosp.,  March,  1901,  xii,  80)  at  first 


agreed  with  von  Fiirth  (n.0st  erroneously,  as  it  proved)  was 
that  "the  active  principle  in  its  native  state  is  not  precipitated 
by  ammonia."  Not  only  was  this  single  point  of  agreement  ex- 
ploded by  Dr.  Takamine's  discovery,  but  singularly  enough  Abel's 
statement  of  the  error  was  made  in  the  same  article  of  May,  1903, 
in  which  he  acknowledged  receipt  of  the  Takamine  crystalline  base, 
of  which  he  then  did  not  know  the  process  of  making.  In  other 
words,  Abel  never  succeeded  in  producing  the  crystalline  prepara- 
tion of  the  blood-pressurc-raising  principle  until  Takamine  taught 


MISCELLANY  365 

him.  how  by  a  method  which  he  and  von  Fiirth  had  pronounced 
impossible  !  Abel'  remarks  later  (Ber.  d.  deutsch.  diem.  Oesellsch., 
1903,  xxxvi,  1839)  :  "The  important  observation  that  the  sub- 
stance can  be  precipitated  in  crystalline  form  from  concentrated 
gland  extracts  by  the  aid  of  ammonia  and  other  alkalies  we  owe  to 
Takamine."  Nothing  could  be  more  explicit. 

Comment: — As  to  the  ammonia-precipitation,  the  fact  that 
Takamine  succeeded  where  Abel  and  von  Fiirth  had  failed, 
proves  that  Abel  was  wrong  in  this  particular,  as  he  concedes 
in  the  quotation.  Abel  fell  into  this  error  because  his  gland 
solutions  were  too  weak;  he  had,  however,  discovered  the 
ammonia-precipitation  in  the  case  of  his  isolated  substance, 
and  the  basic  nature  of  the  latter  long  before  a  report  of 
Takamine's  work  was  published.  (Hoppe-Seyler's  Ztschr., 
1899,  xxviii,  324.) 

The  statement  that  "Abel's  epinephrin  never  possessed  any 
blood-pressure-raising  action,"  is  a  wholly  inexcusable  mis- 
representation, to  put  it  mildly.  Abel  stated  that  his  free  base 
soon  lost  its  activity,  but  the  salts,  especially  the  picrate  and 
bisulphate,  were  highly  active,  and  in  the  dry  state  retained 
their  activity.  These  active  salts,  as  epinephrin  bisulphate, 
were  always  prepared  by  transposition  from  a  picrate  and  not 
from  the  free  epinephrin  which  became  inactive  presumably 
by  oxidation  during  the  precipitation.  The  curves  in  the 
paper  of  Abel  and  Crawford  (Johns  Hopkins  Hospital  Bull., 
1897,  viii,  151)  were  absolutely  convincing.  In  the  paper  in 
Hoppe-Seyler's  Zeitschrift,  xxv,  Abel  found  that  0.02  mg.  of 
the  salt  per  kilo  of  animal  gave  a  distinct  rise;  and  that 
larger  doses  raised  the  pressure  by  88  mm.  On  p.  349,  he  also 
describes  the  blanching  effect  on  the  conjunctiva.  The  writer 
of  the  "reply"  is  evidently  familiar  with  these  papers  and  his 
misstatement  of  the  case  must,  therefore,  be  intentional, 
especially  since  he  admits  in  a  former  paragraph  (g),  that 
Abel's  epinephrin  "displayed  some  of  the  peculiar  physiologic 
activity  of  this  substance"  (the  active  principle).  Nor  does 
this  writer  anywhere  intimate  that  Abel  has  replied  in  detail 
to  von  Fiirth's  contention  that  epinephrin  and  suprarenin  (the 
name  adopted  by  von  Fiirth  for  the  active  principles  of  the 
suprarenal  gland,  now  a  "trade"  name)  are  fundamentally 
different  substances.  (See  Abel,  Johns  Hopkins  Hospital  Bul- 
letin, March,  1901,  and  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  July, 
1903.) 

SUMMARY 

Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  conclude  their  reply  as  follows: 

(n)  Far  be  it  from  us  to  pretend  that  our  research  workers  were 
not  greatly  indebted  to  other  pioneer  students  of  the  suprarenal 
gland,  or  to  deny  that  the  work  of  a  number  of  earnest  investi- 
gators had  paved  the  way  for  Takamine's  crowning  achievement. 
Nearly  every  great  invention  or  advance  in  every  art  is  thus  made 
possible.  Pasteur  made  Lister  possible.  Is  this  any  disparagement 
of  Lister?  Because  there  was  a  prior  record  of  research,  are  we 
to  be  robbed  of  the  credit  which  is  justly  due  us  for  being  the 
first,  through  our  employees,  to  separate  the  active  principle  in  its 
pure  state,  to  determine  its  constitution,  to  evolve  a  practical 
method  of  production  on  a  commercial  scale,  to  confer  a  remark- 


3GG  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

able  boon  on  suffering  humanity?  Is  the  inventor  of  a  therapeutic 
agent  to  be  discriminated  against?  Has  society  a  greater  stake  in 
an  improved  broom-handle  than  in  a  valuable  drug?  Nay,  of  all 
inventions,  should  not  the  author  of  a  new  remedy  be  singled  out 
for  the  richest  rewards  that  society  can  confer?  Will  Professor 
Ehrlich  be  any  the  less  a  great  benefactor  of  his  race  if  he 
reserves  for  himself  or  for  his  institute  in  Frankfort  a  large  roy- 
alty on  his  wonderful  salvarsan?  If  we  have  done  nothing  for 
medicine  and  humanity  in  this  matter  of  adrenalin,  your  argument 
is  sound.  If  we  have  done  much,  your  position  is  pitiful  and 
wrong.  And,  worst  of  all,  the  very  men  whom  you  profess  to 
'serve — the  medical  practitioners  of  the  country — will  be  the  first 
to  suffer.  The  more  you  encourage  the  use  of  the  blanket  name 
"epinephrin,"  the  more  you  put  the  physician  at  the  mercy  of 
"thirty  or  forty"  different  manufacturers  whose  products  range  in 
value  from  the  worthless  to  the  best. 

PARKE,  DAVIS  &  Co.,  Detroit. 
By  E.  G.  SWIFT,  General  Manager. 

Comment: — We  commend  the  spirit  of  the  first  sentence. 
For  the  rest,  we  need  only  restate  the  principle  at  issue,  which 
Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  have  seen  fit  to  ignore  entirely  in  their 
reply:  When  the  same  substance  is  actually  marked  and  usea 
under  several  distinctive  trade-names,  it  becomes  necessary  to 
use  a  generic  name  when  speaking  of  properties  of  the  sub- 
stance which  are  common  to  all  "brands."  This  is  the  intent 
of  most  scientific  and  medical  writers  on  the  suprarenal  base, 
and  when  the  word  "adrenalin"  is  used  by  medical  writers,  it 
is  generally  meant  in  the  generic,  and  not  in  the  distinctive 
sense.  Since  the  name  "adrenalin'5  is  protected,  it  should  not. 
and  properly  cannot,  be  used  in  this  way.  The  name  "epi- 
nephrin," since  it  is  not  monopolized,  is  not  only  the  best,  but 
also  the  sole  name  which  can  be  rightly  applied  to  the  supra- 
renal base,  in  the  generic  sense. —  (From  The  Journal  A.  M.  A., 
March  25,  1911. ) 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Abbott  Alkaloidal  Company 276,  332 

Acetanilid,  harmful  effects  of 220 

Acetanilid   Mixtures    9 

Acetphenetidin    322 

Acetphenetidin,   harmful   effects  of 220 

Adkin,  Professor    • 341 

Advertising  of  antiseptics  to  the  public 18 

Aletris   Farinosa    Ill 

Alleotone     103 

American   Dioradin   Company 52 

American    Druggists    Syndicate 244,  292 

American   Oxidaze  Company 245 

Ammonol  .  . '. 9 

Ammonol   Chemical  Company 270 

Anadol 143 

Analgesic  Balm    166 

Cream,    Stearns    166 

Analgesique   Bengue,   baume 165 

Analginc-Labordinc    65 

Anasarcin     10,   11 

Anasarcin    Chemical    Company 10 

Anedemin     11,   15 

Anedemin   Chemical   Co 11 

Anderton,  T.   B 17 

Anglo-American  Pharmacal  Company 346 

Anodyne  balm,   P-M  Co 166 

Antidiabeticum — Bauer     166 

Antikamnia   9,  1(57.  222 

Antikamnia    Chemical    Company 175 

Anti-neuralgic  ointment   160 

Antipyrin,  harmful  effects  of 220 

Antiseptics,  advertising  of,  to  the  public 18 

Anusol    hemorrhoidal   suppositories 1  '2'2 

Armour  and  Company 79,  .'{.'58 

Arnold's    Zymotoid    Company 318 

Aromatic   digx-stive    tablets 1 1>4 

Arsaeetin   31 1 

Arylarsonates,   toxicity  of 309 

Aspiro-Lithine    178 

Aspirophen    57 

Atoxyl    309 

Aubergier's  syrup  of  lactucarium , 3n5 

Ballard    27 

Ballard-Snow   Liniment   Company 27 

Baptisia    Tinctoria    Ill 

Barber,   O.   P 249 

Barren,  W.   M 197 

Battle   &   Company 263 

Bauer,  L 160 

Baume  analgesique,  Bengue , 165 

Beef  and  meat  juices 71 

Beef -extract,    Rex    Fluid 338 

concentrated  fluid   338 

Bell    &   Company 86,  290 


368  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

PAGE 

Benetol    179 

Beaetol  Company 179 

Bischoff  &  Company . .« 276 

Bismuth,  opium  and  phenol,  tablets  of 147 

Boone,  U.  S 221 

Bovinine    71 

Bovinine   Company    71 

Bradbury's  eczema  lotion 142 

Breitenbach,   M.   J.   &  Company 260 

Bromidia    182 

Bromin-Iodin  Compound 183 

Bromin-Iodin  Chemical  Company 188 

Brown's   Iron  Bitters  Company 27 

Bruce,   J.    E 327 

Brunswick  Chemical  Works 100 

Bullington,   S.  D 91 

Burke,  J.   J.  A : 197 

Burnham's  Soluble  lodin 128 

Burnham   Soluble  lodin   Company 128 

Burroughs,  G.  E 289 

Burroughs,   Wellcome  &  Company 309 

Cactus    Grandiflorus     21 

Caffeinless   Coffee,    Merck's. 330 

Carnine    71 

Calcium  glycerophosphate    28 

Calcium    phcnolsulphonate    (sulphocarbolatc) 31 

Calmine   184 

Camphenol 185 

Campho-Phenique 25 

Campho-Phenique    Company    25 

Campho-Pheuique   powder    25 

Capudine 186 

Capudine   Chemical  Company 186 

Capu-Hicks,  elixir    186 

Carel,  H.  C 180 

Carpanutrine    79 

Carnine   Company    71 

Cascarans  ( Bell )    89 

Cellarius  Company    57 

Chamberlain,    C.    S 55 

Chamoslirium   luteum    57 

Chemische  Fabrik  Falkenberg 57 

Chevalier    de    Basch 240 

Chicago  Hospital   327 

Chinosol    286 

Chinosol    Company    286 

Chologen    189 

Cibilis   Company    338 

Cineraria  Maritima   34 

Citrocoll    57 

Clause!,  Henry  &  Company 114 

Cocillana  Compound,  syrup  of 302 

Cod-Liver  oil  Compound,  Waterbury's  Metabolized 118 

Cod-Liver  oil.   Hagee's   cordial   of 191 

Coffee,  Merck's  Caffeinless 330 

Colax   347 

Columbus  Pharmacal  Company 276,  313 

Comar  &  Company    307 

Concentrated   Fluid   Beef  Extract 338 

Conner,    W.    B 196 

Consolidated  Color  and  Chemical  Works 242 

Copeland,   B.   F 165 

Cornutol    .                                                                  333 


INDEX  369 

PAGE 

Coudrey.    H.    M 68 

Cowles,   H.   L 245 

Cowles   Institute    245 

Cox    Chemical    Company 219 

Crawley,  M 68 

Cudahy    Packing   Company 338 

Curran,  R . .- 196 

Curtis,   W.   H 196 

Danderine   340 

Daniel's   tincture    of   passiflora 90,  190 

Daniel,  J.  B 191 

DeBarthe,   J 327 

DeBarthe  treatment   326 

Dekafa 329 

Dekofa     329 

Diastase    ferments 35 

Diazyrne  essence 36 

Diazyme  glycerole    36 

Digestive,  aromatic   124,  125,  126 

Digipoten     331 

Dioradin    ; 47 

Dios  Chemical   Company 320 

Dioscorea  Villosa Ill 

Dioviburnia     320 

Disinfectants,  advertising  of,  to  the  public 18 

Dodge,   J.  L 89 

Drake's    Palmetto    Compound 341 

Duffy's   Malt    Whiskey 194 

Duffy  Malt   Whiskey   Company 195,  200 

Echinacca   53 

Ecthol    211 

Edson,  C •• 268 

Elixir  Buchu  and  Hyoscyamus  Compound 316 

Elixir  Capu-Hicks    186 

Elixir  of  Viburnum  Compound 320 

El  Zcrnac  Company 276 

Enteronol    212 

Enteronol  Company 212 

Epinephrin 349 

Erpiol     (Dr.    Schrader) 55 

Ergone .• 333 

Ergot     • 332 

WTyeth  Purified 333 

Ergx>tole    334 

Estill,    F .' •' 17 

Etna    Chemical    Company 267 

Eusoma  Pharmacuetical  Company 55 

Exurgine    • 276 

FairchiJd  Bros,  and  Foster 41 

False  Unicorn 56 

Farbenfabriken  of  Elberfeld  Company 226,  322 

Farbwerke  vorm.  Meister  Lucius  &  Bruening 311 

Fermenlactyl     346 

Fleming,    W.   M 168 

Fluid  beef  jelly 338 

Fluid    extract    of   beef 338 

Fluid  extract  of  cramp  bark  compound 321 

Foods,    medicinal    77 

Formamint    216 

Formurol     57 

Fougera  &  Company 71,  305 


PAGE 

Fraser    Tablet    Company 127 

Fraud,  great  American,  and  pharmaceutical  manufacturers.  .  .  .  340 

Gamble,    D.    E.,    ,Tr 68 

Gardner,    R.    W 62 

Gardner-Barada   Chemical    Company 155 

Gardner's  Syrup   of  Ilydriodic   Acid 59 

Gatlin  Institute   827 

General  Drug  Company 242 

Germicides,  advertising  of,  to  the  public 18 

Gero,    Louis.    Ltd 48 

Getsinger,    E.    C 244,  253 

Gotwcll    Tablets     342 

Glycerophosphate,  calcium   28 

Glyco-Thymoline     21 8 

Glycozone    62 

Goddard,  C.  II 244 

Goler,  G.  W 196 

Gonococcide     219 

Good  Health  Company 347 

Gordon     17 

Grisard,  A.   F.,  B.   A.,  J.  W.,  and  J.   P 17 

Hagee's    cordial    of   cod-liver    oil 191 

Hance  Bros.   &  White 95,  147 

Hanson,    E.    F 341 

narrower,  H.  R 345 

Hayden's    Viburnum    Compound 320 

Ilaymann,    II 86 

Ilayward,   E.   S-,   Jr 196 

Headache  "cures"    220 

Helonias   dioica 57 

Ilemavitse    245 

Ilemavita?   Company 245 

Hepatic  salts    292 

Herrick's    (Dr.)    pills 27 

Hick's    Capudine   Cure 186 

Hirschberg,    L.    K 342 

Hoffmann  LaRoche  Chemical  Works 85 

Hoge,  W.  M 242 

Iloladin 36 

Howard,    E 261 

Ilowell,  H.  B.,  &  C9mpany,  Ltd 240 

Hydrastis  and   cramp   bark  compound 321 

Hydrastis  and  viburnum  compound 321 

Ilydriodic   acid,    syrup    of 59 

Ilydrocine   244 

Hydrocine   Company    .  .  .  - 244 

Hydrocyanatc    of    Iron — Tilden 130 

Hydronaphthol    222 

Hydrozone 63,  223 

Hygenol   180 

Hymosa    133,  237 

lamatological  Bureau   191 

Indigo,    wild     Ill 

Ingraham,   C.   W 183 

lodalbin     226 

lodipin     226 

lodonucleoid    225 

lodovasogen    317 

Iridium    226 

Iron  Tropon 227 

Jaroma    228 

Jaroma  Company    229 


INDEX  371 

PAGE 

Jaros,   A.    L 118 

Johns,  L.  D.  Company 88 

Johns'     (Dr.)     Tablets 89 

Johnson    &    Johnson ; 185 

Kefllac    347 

Kefilac  Company    347 

Knowlton  Danderine  Company 340 

Koechl,   Victor,   &  Company 81,  2412 

Koehler's   Headache   Powders 9 

Kutnow,    S 233 

Kutnow's   Powder    231 

Ijiibordine    04 

Labordine  Pharmacal  Company G4 

Lactobacilline     346 

Lactobacilline  Company    346 

Lactone    347 

Lactopeptine     69 

Lactucarium,   Aubergier's  syrup  of 305 

Laine   Chemical   Company 103 

Laxaphen     276 

Laxine     276 

Laxothalen  Tablets   276 

Lederle  Laboratories    49,-  235 

Lehn  &  Fink   317,  322 

Lilly,  Eli  &  Company 79,  102,  321 

Lime   Tonol    29 

Liquid  Life 135 

Peptone    79 

Sulphur   307 

Liquozone    319 

Littleton,  J.  M 17 

Louisville    Pharmacal    Works 320 

Lucius   &  Bruning 81,  311 

Luyties  Homeopathic  Pharmacy  Company 35,   135,  237 

Lynch,   J.   J 17 

Lyon,     C 168 

Lysol    234 

Magistral    Chemical    Company 243 

Maignen,   J.  P 235 

Maignen   Pulv 235 

Mallinckrodt  Chemical   Works 29,  68,  98,  323 

Maltine,    Plain     36 

Maltzyrae    36 

Manola    135,  236 

Manola    Company    35,   135,  237 

Marchand,   C 63,  224 

Marcy   Company    276 

Mariani  &  Company   114 

Marienbad   Tablets    239 

Marts,  W.  T 187 

Mayfleld  Medicine  Mfg.  Company 27 

May-Pop    190 

McKesson  &  Bobbins 179,  309 

Meat  and  beef  juices 71 

Meat  extracts  and  meat  juices 336 

Meat  juices    338 

Medical  Food  Company 247 

Medicinal    foods     77 

Merck,  E.,  &  Company 29,  226,  323,  329 

Mercol    240 

Merrell,  William  S.,  Chemical  Company 56,  79,  126,  147 


372  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

PAGE 

Methyl  salicylate  ointment 166 

Metropolitan    Medical    College 328 

Metz,   G.    P.    and   H.   A 242 

Meyer,  II.  F.  C 54 

Meyer's    Blood    Purifier 54 

Micajah    &    Company 138 

Micajah's   Medicated   Uterine   Wafers 


Midol 

Microbe   Killer,   Radam's. 

Migrainln 


138 
241 
319 
81 


Moore,  R.  M 197 

Morley,   G.   B 256 

Morse,    W.    H 199,  253 

Mosquera-Julia    Food    Company 338 

Mother's  Cordial    321 

Mulford,  H.  K.,  Company 125,  147,  166,  321,  333 

Narkine   243 

Neal-Adkin    196 

Neal,  B.   E 327 

Neal   Institute    326 

Nelson,   Baker  &  Company 166,   320,  333 

Neuralgine    341 

New  York  Institute  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons 341 

New  York  Pharmaceutical  Association 69 

New  York  Quinin  and  Chemical  Works 98 

Noitol     142 

Norwich   Pharmacal   Company 153,  ir»8 

Nurito     241,  243 

Nutrient    Wine   of  Beef   Peptone 79 

Nutriola    Company    341 

Nutritive   Liquid   Peptone 79 

Odin.  G 342 

Odin's    "cancer    germ" 342 

Okola  Laboratory 196 

Oleozone    244 

Oleozone   Company    250 

Opium,   phenol   and  bismuth,   tablets  of .  . 147 

Orangeine     10 

Orsudan 309 

Ott,    1 90 

Oxidaze 244 

Oxychlorine     82 

Oxychlorine    Chemical   Company 82,  160 

Oxydase     248 

Oxyoline  apparatus 344 

Oxyoline    therapy    344 

Oxytonic    320 

Ozonized  testimonials   344 

Palmer,    E 138 

Panase 36 

Pancreatin  and  pepsin,  liquid  combinations  containing 91 

Pantopon 84,  262 

Papayans    (Bell)    86 

Papinc 262 

Parke,  Davis  &  Company   41,  42, 

79,    126,    147,   166,   226,   276;   279,   302,   321,   333,    340,   347,   349 

Pas-Avena 265 

Pas-Avena  Company 265 

Passiflora     " 90 

Passiflora   Incarnata,    Daniel's    concentrated    tincture   of 190 

Patch   Manufacturing  Company,   E.    L 341 

Pax    Chemical    Company 276 

Pearson  &  Company 317 

Pepsin   and  pancreatin,  liquid   combinations  containing 91 

Pepto-Mangan    (Gude)    2G6 


INDEX  373 

PAGE 

Peptonic  elixir   79 

Perkins,   J.   B 197 

Perkins,   Duffy  &  McLean 199 

Pharmaceutical   manufacturers  and  the  great  American  fraud.  340 

Phenacetin    93,  322 

Phenalein    276 

Phenalgin 10,  267 

Pheno-Bromate     ;  .  .  275 

Pheno-Bromate  Company    275 

Phenolax  Wafers   27C 

Phenol,  bismuth  and  opium,  tablets  of 147 

Phenolphthaloin    275 

laxative   276 

Phenol    Sodique    94 

Phenolsulphonate   calcium    31 

Phillips,  I.   G 17 

Phospho-Vanadiol     112 

Phylacogen    : 279 

Physiologic  Therapeutics   345 

Pierce's  Favorite  Prescription   320 

Piso's   Consumption    Cure    140 

Pitman-Myers   Company    166,  276 

Pix  Cresol 285 

Fix   Cresol    Chemical    Company 285 

Platinum  Company    226 

Powers-Weightman-Rosengarten   Company    29,  98,  323 

Probilin    276 

Protonuclein    287 

Prunoids    276 

Purgen     .  .  .  : 278 

Pyramidon     241 

Quinin    arsenate    97 

Quinin  tannate 98 

Radam's  Microbe  Killer 319 

Ray  Chemical  Company 334 

Reed,  A.  S 187 

Resinol   28g 

Rex  fluid   boef  extract 338 

Rheumaticide    '. 289 

Rheumaticide  Company    289 

Rheumatism,   DeBarthe   treatment  for 326 

Richardson's    Life-Preserving  Bitters    27 

Roberts,   C.   S 244 

Rochester  Distilling  Company    196 

Ross,    J.    A 327 

Ruf,  F.  A 175 

Sajodin    226 

Salacetin    10,    87,   290 

Sal-Codeia    87,   291 

Sal    Hepatica    292 

Saliodin 145 

Saliodin   Chemical  Company    145 

Sanatogon    • 293 

Schall,    H.    M 196 

Schering  &  Glatz   29,  122,  276 

Seabury  &  Johnson    223,  341 

Septicide 320 

Sharp  &  Dohme 79,  126,  147,  335,  342 

Shepherd,   \V 342 

Sherlin,  C.  E 196 

Smith,  C.   B 89 


374  PROPAGANDA     FOR     REFORM 

PAGE 

Smith  Bile  Beans  Company 27 

Smith,  Kline  &  French  Company 321 

Smithwick,  J.  W.  P 249 

Soamin     309 

Society  of  Science,  Letters  and  Art 199 

Sour  milk    therapy 346 

von   Spiegel,   J.   C .  . 289 

Squibb 29 

Stapleton,   J.   A 197 

Stearns,  Frederick,  &  Company 41,  147,  1G6,  321,  342 

Stevenson  &  Jester  Company 79 

Strychnin  arsenate    101 

Succus    Altcrans 102 

'  Suociis  Cineraria  Maritima   (Walker) 35 

Sulphocarbolate,   calcium    31 

Sulpho-Lythin     103 

Sulphonal 93 

Sulphumo     307 

Sultan    Drug   Company    270 

Swain's   All-Healing    Ointment 27 

Swain's    Laboratory    27 

Synergia    '. 120 

de   Saendeffy,    (Dr.)    R • 48 

T.   B.   Chemical   Company 130 

Tak-a-Diastase    36,  42 

Tartarlithine     309 

Tennant,   G.  C 89 

Thalosen    276 

Thialion   109 

Tilden    Company    130,  243 

Tongaline    224 

Tonic   beef,    S.   &   D 79 

Trional     93 

Trommer's  extract  of  malt 36 

Trommer's  extract   with   cod-liver  oil 36 

Truax,  Greene  &  Company 1 20,  147 

Tuberculoids     313 

Turner,    F.   M 114 

Turner   (Dr.)    Company    114 

Tyree,  J.   S 104,  314 

Tyree's  Antiseptic  Powder    104,  314 

Unguentiae     153 

Unicorn  root Ill 

Upjohn    Company 276 

Uric    Acid    Monthly    110 

Uricedin 155 

TJriseptin 155 

Uterine  Sedative  Elixir    321 

Uterine  Wafers,  Micajah's   138 

Valentine,  M.  J 71 

Valentine's  meat  juice    71,  338 

Valentine's  Meat  Juice  Company 338 

Vanadiol 112 

Vanadioseptol • 112 

Vanadium    Chemical    Company 112 

Vanadium   preparations    112 

Vanadoforme     112 

Vapo-Cresolene   317 

Vasogen   317 

Vass  Chemical   Company    .- 109 

Veracolate   276 

Vera  Diastase  essence  .  .  .36 


INDEX  375 


PAGE 

Viburnumal    320 

Viburnum  compound 320 

Vibutcro     321 

Vigoral    338 

Vin  Mariani    114 

Vitaopathy    > 341 

Walker,  W.  E 17 

Walker  Pharmacal  Company   35,   133,  237 

Wallace,    T.    A.    289 

Wallace  Treatment    289 

Wampolo.  II.   K.,  &  Company 147 

Warner,  Win.  It.,  &  Company 147 

Waterbury    Chemical    Company 121 

Waterbury's   Metabolized   (od-liver  oil   compound 118 

Wheeler  Chemical  Works 142 

Whiskey,   Duffy's  Malt 194 

Wyeth,  John,  &  Brother 71,  79,  334,  338 

Wyeth's  beef  juice    71 

Wyeth's  purified  ergot    333 

Yam,    wild    Ill 

Yogurt 347 

Xemacol    158 

Zyme-oid    160 

Zvmotoid    318 


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Convictions  Under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act 

The  convictions  that  the  government  has  obtained  against  the  adul- 
terators of  drugs  and  similar  preparations  are  described  technically  In 
official  documents  known  as  "Notices  of  Judgment."  One  hundred  and 
forty-eight  of  these  cases  are  here  abstracted  in  popular  form. 


The  four  pamphlets  described  above  are  larger  than  those  which  fol- 
low. They  are  sold,  assorted  as  desired,  at  the  following  prices :  One 
copy,  6  cents ;  five  copies,  25  cents ;  ten  copies,  40  cents ;  twenty-five 
copies,  75  cents.  Stamps  acceptable  for  amounts  under  fifty  cents. 

Viavi 

A  concern  that  sells  nostrums  for  "female  trouble." 

Alcola 
A  fraudulent  and  worthless  cure  for  drunkenness. 

Sanatogen 
Cottage  cheese  as  an  elixir  of  life. 

Tuberclecide 
A  fraudulent  "consumption  cure." 

Murine  Eye  Remedy 

The  modern   Colonel  Sellers. 

(CONTINUED    ON    NBX*    PAGE) 


Medical  Fakes  and  Fakers— (Continued) 

Mrs.  Cora  B.  Miller 

A  mail-order  medical  fraud  in  Kokomo,   Ind. 

Carnegie  University 

A  fraudulent  "school"  that  sells  diplomas  for  $50. 

Fake  Gall-Stone  Cures 

"Fruitola"  and  "Mayr's   Stomach  Remedy." 

Carson's  Temple  of  Health 

A  Kansas   City  fakery. 

Stuart's  Plas-Tr-Pads  and  J.  B.  L.  Cascade 

Two  fraudulently  exploited  mechanical  devices. 

Woods'  Cures  for  Drinking  and  Smoking 

A  pair  of  international  fakes  fraudulently  sold. 

The  Bertha  C.  Day  Company 

A  mail-order  medical  concern  of  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

The  Interstate  Remedy  Company 

A   mail-order    fake    with   a    "free    recipe"    bait. 

The  Oxydonor  and  Similar  Fakes 

The   gas-pipe   therapy  frauds. 

Press  Agents  and  Preservatives 

How    the  borax   trust   tries   to   mold   public    opinion. 

Van  Bysterveld  Medicine  Company 

A  "fraudulent  Grand  Rapids,   Mich.,  concern. 

American  College  of  Mechano-Therapy 

A    correspondence    school    of    "curative    mechanics." 

Marjorie  Hamilton's  Obesity  Cure 

A   widely  advertised   fat-reduction  humbug. 

Dr.  Turner's  Obesity  Cure 

Another   fraudulent    fat-reduction    "treatment." 

Kellogg's    Frauds 

Some    anti-fat    and    anti-lean    preparations. 

"  Professor  "    Samuels 

Sugar  and  salt  solution  as  a  cure-all. 

George  E.  Coutant 

A    fraudulent   "cure   for   deafness." 

Quacks  -Itinerant  and  Otherwise 

The   "United   Doctors,"   the   "Known   Doctors,"  and   similar  frauds. 

Mineral  Waters 

Some    products    sold    under    misleading    or    fraudulent    claims. 

Duffy's  Malt  Whiskey 

"Patent   medicine"   or  poor   liquor — which  ? 

The  Duket  "Cure"  for  Consumption 

A  worthless  "cure"  backed  by  a  medical  college. 

Prices  of  these  twenty-six  pamphlets,  assorted  as  desired:  One 
copy,  4  cents ;  five  copies,  15  cents ;  ten  copies,  25  cents ;  twenty-five 
copies,  50  cents.  All  postpaid.  Stamps  acceptable  for  amounts  under 
50  cents. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


L9-40ra-5,'67(H2161s8)4939 


